The head of the peak industry body for Queensland’s minerals and energy sector has called for help combat the activist campaign that is determined to destroy the coal and gas industries.” Addressing a Townsville Enterprise business breakfast this week, QRC Chief Executive Michael Roche said the activists’ successes in disrupting and delaying projects are coming hard and fast and it is time for everyone to step forward and lend a hand or Australia may as well close its doors to new business.
“The activists’ campaign to disrupt and delay new projects is real, and so we need help from everyone with skin in the game to combat the campaign against the coal and gas industries,” Roche said. “It’s not just resource companies that have much to lose – everyone from the local communities, local businesses to the government coffers, have something to lose if the activists are allowed to continue to hold projects to ransom.
“Communities like Townsville with unemployment of 8.7% (and nearly 20% youth unemployment) have to stand up and say to governments, state and federal, that enough is enough.”
Roche welcomed Federal Attorney-General George Brandis’ warning that legal loopholes were providing a ‘red carpet for vigilante litigation’ and should be at the top of the list for parliament.
“Industry congratulates Mr Brandis for speaking out, especially for his Queensland constituents, but we need to remember it’s not just about fixing a loophole in federal legislation, it’s about both state and federal governments showing they genuinely support the resources industry and the jobs the sector can deliver,” Roche said.
“The laws are there to protect the environment and project approvals in Australia operate under ecological sustainable development rules, so it’s up to governments to properly balance the best environmental, social and economic outcomes. The legal loopholes that currently exist are being used to neuter the economic and social considerations.”
Roche said many ordinary citizens were genuinely shocked last week when they learned that activists had capitalised on a simple legal loophole to halt the A$16 billion Carmichael coal project.
“In response to the announcement last week, QRC began a petition (available on www.qrc.org.au) to call on the support of all of those who support our industry,” Roche explained. “Many hundreds of comments have flooded in from across Australia in support of the resources industry, calling for decisive action from our governments.”
Roche said it was no longer good enough for those relying on the industry to ignore the growing threat and “it was time for all to stand shoulder to shoulder to defend an industry that supports and provides the modern fabric of our everyday lives.”
Roche has also said the QRC welcomes the federal government’s willingness to expose and stand-up to the wrecking tactics of the anti-resources activists in parliament. “It is important that a spotlight is shone onto the current flaws in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act and consideration is given to correcting those flaws.
“The current flaws enable activists to repeatedly launch vexatious litigation against industry projects, thus carrying out their strategy as identified in the activist handbook, Stopping the Australian Coal Export Boom.
“We applaud the government’s move to close legal loopholes that are being abused to hold up multibillion dollar projects and call on bipartisan support for closing those loopholes.”