The Toowoomba region is about to be industrialised by possibly Queensland biggest coal development project – but its threatened convulsion to our region’s way of life appears presently to be regarded with incomprehensible State and local government indifference.
State and local government have been well aware of the plans of the multi-national company Ambre Energy Limited but so far have issued no details of their future planning to cope with the probable economic, highway traffic, employment and environment impacts on the region.
Of the questions (printed below) submitted on Tuesday, August 12, to Mayor Peter Taylor of the Toowoomba Regional Council, to Premier Bligh, Attorney-General Shine who is also MP Toowoomba North, and to Opposition Members Springborg, Horan, Hobbs, Copeland and to Ian Macfarlane, MP. Groom, only Taylor and Horan have replied.
Mayor Taylor reveals that while the TRC has had a briefing from various State Departments there is still no opportunity for it to make a submission at this time. His full statement explains why. See Responses.
Horan flatly opposes the Felton development: “As Shadow Minister for Food Security & Agriculture (including Fisheries & Biosecurity), Sport & Racing, I am concerned about the loss of farming land located so close to millions of people living in the South East corner and the expanding city of Toowoomba.”
So WHERE’s the water coming from? Friends of Felton Chairman spokesman Rob McCreath reveals the huge and dangerous stumbling block to this project.
THESE THREE STATEMENTS ARE PRINTED IN FULL UNER THE LATER HEADING “RESPONSES”.
The Ambre coal project is planned for the beautiful farming Felton Valley, 30 km south-west of Toowoomba.
This newsletter reported on August 4 that start-up coal production would be 750,000 tonnes a year and projected production 10 million tonnes. (Go to www.hughbingham.blogspot.com then click on Archive to view).
The Ambre company has recently issued an elaborate colour brochure “Clean Coal Technologies” and in May revealed a project revision.
The pamphlet announces:
Ambre Energy has developed a measured, indicated and inferred resource of 900 million tonnes of coal at Felton, near Toowoomba. This will be the site of the company’s proposed Felton Clean Coal Project. Six drilling programs have been successfully completed .
Data collected from these programs will be used to generate a resource statement for targeting production of 35% ash Run of Mine coal.
The resource falls within exploration permit EPC 935 but Ambre Energy has another five exploration permits nearby covering a total area of over 1000 square kilometres.
The Press statement in May, largely overlooked in the media, states:
The project to convert coal to liquid fuels and power in the Felton Region has been substantially revised. The project’s proponent, Brisbane-based Ambre Energy, has advised local landowners and the Queensland Government that it will downscale the first stage of its project to a semi-commercial demonstration plan to prove its new technologies.
The result is that the initial mining lease applications will now encompass only a 2000 tonnes per day coal mining operation The demonstration project will no longer include a coal washing plant, or the application of Ambre Energy’s proprietary hybrid commercialised by the company in the United States.
The “downgrading” Press Statement goes on to state: The main emphasis for the revised project will be to advance the company’s clean coal technology for the production of electricity and dimethyl ether or DME. The technology allows C02 to be economically and efficiently removed from parts of the production process for sequestration, with the consequent potential to greatly reduce the carbon footprint normally associated with the use of coal for power generation. The process will now be known as the Felton Clean Coal Demonstration Project.
The Ambre brochure, under the heading “DME Reactor”, describes the processes of Gassification, Syngas and the projected DME Reactor. In the Press Statement, the company gives its reasons for revising the project, including a desire to overcome community concern that the construction of the process plant on a flood plain on the eastern side of Hodgson Creek would remove premium cropping land from the region’s resources and might affect upstream properties in the event of flooding. The plant will now be confined to the western side of the creek.
The Press statement says that if the demonstration project is successful, the Felton operation could be expanded in stages to increase the size of the mine and the process plant to produce over 300mw of electricity and 4000 million litres a year of DME. The company says that the project alone could ultimately make substantial impact on Australia’s diesel market which comprised in 20006-7 17,028 million litres of diesel and 77 million litres of biodiesel.
Ambre Energy (Felton) Pty Ltd has made application to Toowoomba Regional Council for a MATERIAL CHANGE OF USE APPLICATION: Hayden Road, Felton (Lot 1 on RP197372)It proposes to establish a site office and additional storage yard to support ongoing drilling and core sampling activities prior to the commencement of formal mining activities both on the site and in the broader Felton area.The proposed material change of use sought is from ‘rural’ to ‘industrial – low impact and commercial use’.
The development application presupposes the granting by State Government of a mining lease over a number of properties within the Felton area. Granting of such a lease can only happen, by law, following the completion and acceptance of a comprehensive Environmental Impact Study.
Approval of this current development application by Council, objecting residents argue, should take into account the proposed project as a whole, not merely as “the Pilot”.
The website for the Ambre company is www.ambreenergy.com. It has offices in both Brisbane and Salt Lake City, USA.
The Friends of Felton website address is
http://www.friendsoffelton.blogspot.com/
Fighting Felton’s Magnificent Photography: A Felton Valley Photographic Exhibition will be launched at 2pm on August 31 at the Pepperina Gallery in Nobby. These photos have been taken by the local community and are of very high standard. One has just won first prize in a Toowoomba Regional Council-sponsored competition and seven others have been selected to be exhibited during the Carnival of Flowers and the Heritage Festival.
Toowoomba and Darling Downs political and social commentary. Print copies of this newsletter may be ordered from Toowoomba's Office Works, phone 4699-5300
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Hugh Bingham
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About Hugh Bingham
Bingham is a career journalist with experience in State and Federal politics. He has been Editor of the Sunday Truth, the Sydney Sunday Mirror, Associate Editor of the Sydney Daily Mirror, and has reported overseas for The Australian.
In retirement he turned farmer in the Felton Valley, near Toowoomba, breeding Appaloosas and winning best foal and filly at the 1992 State championships.
Now 80, Bingham takes a keen interest in current affairs, especially politics and social issues. Bingham has tutored U3A groups as diverse as poetry, memoir writing, and classical music.
In retirement he turned farmer in the Felton Valley, near Toowoomba, breeding Appaloosas and winning best foal and filly at the 1992 State championships.
Now 80, Bingham takes a keen interest in current affairs, especially politics and social issues. Bingham has tutored U3A groups as diverse as poetry, memoir writing, and classical music.
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