Fitzroy – CQ’s life-blood – will be protected: Schwarten

Issues raised in a new study into the water quality impacts of mining in the Fitzroy River Basin will be addressed by a re-elected Bligh Government, Member for Rockhampton Robert Schwarten said today

“I stress the study - ‘”A study of the cumulative impacts on water quality of mining activities in the Fitzroy River Basin” is a draft.

“It has not yet been considered by Cabinet, government or stakeholders, but obviously we will engage with them all – if re-elected,” Mr Schwarten said.

“Mining is such an important industry and it will continue, but we need to reassess how mining deals with water, especially excess water in flood times.

“There is no way we will allow it (mining), or any other industry, to compromise our water safety, or the environment that depends on it.

“Water quality impacts are not just about the immediate townships, but there are rural producers and downstream communities that must be considered.”

Fitzroy River water quality was a serious issue when unprecedented major local flooding in January 2008 flooded a number of CQ mines.

“By August monitoring indicated salinity was increasing and in October we appointed Australia’s leading water scientist Professor Barry Hart as an independent advisor.

“We also have a technical working group that includes the Fitzroy River Basin Association and the Capricorn Conservation Council.

“We accepted Professor Hart’s report and made the changes he suggested.

“But we then took the even more serious step of commissioning this report and I believe even though it is in draft form - and yet to be studied by government or Cabinet - it needs to be available to all.

“We have left no stone unturned.

“Truth and transparency have applied to everything I have said and done and this issue is no different,” said Mr Schwarten.

“We will not hide from it – even in its draft form. This is a unique set of circumstances and as such requires a unique response.

In short, the 50-page draft finds that:

·insufficient data exists to quantify the cumulative impact of mining water discharges on the Fitzroy River Basin;

·ongoing monitoring and analysis is needed to develop a modelling program for assessing cumulative impacts;

·using a risk assessment matrix, six mines were identified as being the highest contributors to potential cumulative impacts); and

·discharge quality limits and operating requirements for coal mine water discharges under normal operation are inconsistent and often do not reflect best environmental practice.

The study’s recommendations include:

oImproving the management of mines’ waste water

oReducing the potential for cumulative impacts; and

oImproving water quality data

Mr Schwarten said neither this, nor any other report identified our water as unfit for human consumption.

“However the report identifies issues that must - and will be - dealt with by a future Bligh Government.

“We are not able to commit to each of them today; however if re-elected the Bligh Government will consider each and every one of them.

“We are absolutely committed to the growth of the mining industry, but we need to get at best-practice in relation to water quality.

“We are confident that mining companies and the QRC will work co-operatively with us to protect both jobs and the environment.

“We appreciate that some mines will be unable to change to more stringent limits overnight; however we will work with them to ensure any possible changes are implemented as soon as practicable.

“Our magnificent Fitzroy is not only CQ’s life-blood, but is also eventually flows into the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon,” Mr Schwarten said.

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