>> Felton’s huge water problems – warning from Stuart Copeland MP Cunningham.

Given the huge interest in mining in Queensland, Felton has become a focal point of an expanding industry that is looking for energy sources in areas it hasn’t previously considered. This creates an enormous amount of uncertainty for landholders and anyone in a proposed mining area.

The proposed mine at Felton has raised a number of issues about the effec mining exploration will have on towns and communities that are deemed appropriate for mining. In particular there are certain issues that affect the Felton area.

If the Felton mine goes ahead some properties will be purchased, but even those that live adjacent to the mine will have to live in uncertainty about their land. No one would feel comfortable about this.

For transportation purposes rail would simply not be able to cope considering the current infrastructure. Construction of a railway ‘missing link’, from Wandoan to Banana, is being considered that would provide access to the Port of Gladstone. If that plan goes ahead it has the potential to open up an alternative route to and from the Surat Basin.

Any mine in the region would have a number of effects on water supply. One is the effect on underwater sources that are already in high demand from both farmers and town water planners. With underground aquifers already being used by a number of parties, and especially needed to ensure the current agriculture remains at a high quality standard, there is a very real possibility they will become overused and damage the potential for future long-term use.

Any mine would also bring unwanted change to the Hodgson Creek and disrupt what has been a focal point of the area. The other proposed option for water, taken from coal-seam gas operations, so far has not proven to be a viable option. There remain a number of questions about what impact the extraction of coal-seam water would have on the environment that have not been answered.

The proposed mine however is not opposed by everyone in the region, and there are some people who want the project to go ahead because of employment opportunities.

A balance must be met between the growing mining industry while retaining prime agricultural areas such as Felton. Currently there are increasing international food prices and preserving good land for agriculture will become an international problem. Increasing food prices will only be compounded if prime agricultural areas like Felton become disregarded in favour of mineral resources.

While there may be a short-term benefit to mining, we have to consider the long term effect on land. With mining and exploration come consequences on the land and big questions are unanswered as to whether land can be rehabilitated to become the prime land it currently is.