BALONNE WELCOMES DECISION TO PROTECT GREAT ARTESIAN BASIN

Balonne Shire Council welcomes the decision by Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation to reject a proposal by Glencore to inject industrial waste into the Great Artesian Basin. 

Foreign-owned mining giant Glencore, had put forward a proposal to inject 330,000 tonnes of industrial waste into one of Australia’s greatest natural assets – the Great Artesian Basin, which is the lifeblood of communities and agriculture in 60% of the State’s land mass.

Balonne Shire Council joined together with 23 other Council’s to voice our objection to this risky proposal that could’ve put at risk the health and well-being of our local communities from generational damage to their drinking water. 

Balonne Shire Mayor Samantha O’Toole welcomed the decision by Queensland’s environmental regulators to reject this risky proposal. 

“This decision is a great relief to our community and everyone that relies on the Great Artesian Basin as a source of clean water for drinking and agricultural production”, said Mayor O’Toole.

“The Great Artesian Basin is the lifeblood of rural and regional communities and deserves protection from risky industrial waste dumping schemes. 

“We fully support calls from the Local Government Association of Queensland for a moratorium to stop any future similar proposals that have the potential to negatively impact the Great Artesian Basin and the communities that rely on it. 

“Our environmental regulations have clearly been applied correctly in this instance, however our communities deserve to know that a risky proposal like this will never have the chance to even be considered ever again.”

Click here to read the full decision.