Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal MP for Kennedy, Bob Katter has today praised the Douglas Shire Council for their decision to ban any future Coal Seam Gas (CSG) mining in the shire.

“The people of Far North Queensland are standing tall, but we have no illusions about the cancerous corrupting influence of the CSG industry.

“Little Douglas Shire Council in Far North Queensland has stood up and showed the way. They are showing the Queensland Government to be what they are - a bunch of snivelling traitorous cowards.

“The Queensland Government sell out their own people to ingratiate themselves with a foreign corporation and perhaps line their own pockets,” Mr Katter said.

Last month, Mr Katter attended a peaceful protest in Mareeba to halt the drilling of coal seam gas wells that pose significant health and environmental risks to water supplies; prior to the sale of Mount Mulligan Station in Mareeba which was flagged as a ‘red hot’ coal seam gas region.

Mr Katter warned community members of the potentially catastrophic social and economic costs of coal seam gas aquifer drilling which threatens to contaminate our waters and the lifeblood of Australia’s agricultural industries and post significant risks to human health, our air quality and levels, natural environment and threaten our native and domestic animals.

“Inland of the coastal ranges, there is virtually no surface water, extremely flat topography combined with extremely hot dry climate. We rely on our underground water supply to sustain life.

“Nearly half of Queensland will be turned into a poisoned pin cushion, to make 4 or 5 foreign corporations’ super rich,” Mr Katter said.

Mr Katter has pointed to the minimal economic benefits of CSG mining in Queensland as another reason for concern.

“We have always been proudly a mining state. Coal seam gas has, and is, seriously damaging the mining industry.

“This industry contributes virtually nothing to the Australian economy.

“When the construction and development phase is over next year, the industry comes back to 2500 jobs, and almost its entire $25,000 million a year income, will line the pockets of rich foreign CSG mining giants,” said Mr Katter.

Last year, Mr Katter introduced laws to place a temporary suspension on aquifer drilling for coal seam gas extraction.