Mining meeting being held Saturday

Following the successful public meeting and information session held recently in Warwick, the Southern Downs Protection Group will hold a second event, this time in Stanthorpe.
The meeting, to be held between 2pm and 4pm on Saturday at the Anglican Church Hall, Corundum Street, is open to all concerned residents who wish to learn if their properties are covered by exploration permits for coal and coal seam gas mining or other extractive industries.
Southern Downs Protection Group co-founder Leeanne Undery said that, following the success of the inaugural information session in Warwick, the group was keen to provide information on the issue to the residents located in the southern reaches of the region.
“Even though areas around Stanthorpe are covered mostly with mineral permits, these industries will have the same impacts on our communities and local rural and tourism industries,” Mrs Undery said.
“With major mineral permits already in place across the Granite Belt, these industries are set to encroach on many people’s properties on both farming and rural residential land.”
In addition to identifying the location of permits within the Southern Downs region, attendees will also be informed about the impacts of these industries, which include loss and contamination of agricultural land, contamination of underground and surface water and threats to biodiversity.
In other areas, where these industries are already established, a raft of issues including noise and air pollution and increased traffic has severely impacted both individuals and communities.
Speakers at the event will include a representative from Lock the Gate Alliance Inc and community action groups from Toowoomba and across the Darling Downs.
For further details on the public meeting, email the Southern Downs Protection Group at sdpg@live.com.au.
Alternatively,  visit the group’s Facebook page, which provides information and updated news on these issues.