30,000 Australians sign anti-Adani water licence petition
Tens of thousands of Australians are showing their support for Queensland farmers by signing a petition in protest of the special state deal that gives Adani free, unlimited water for the mega coal mine it’s proposing to build in the state.
Australian farmers are angry about the special deal struck between the Queensland Government and international coal mining corporation Adani, which prompted Farmers for Climate Action to join the Stop Adani Alliance.
Farmers for Climate Action member and Longreach farmer Angus Emmott launched a petition calling on Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to rescind the water licences that allow Adani access to unlimited water for 60 years last Wednesday, and has been blown away by the response.
As of yesterday, almost 30,000 people had already signed on.
“My original target was 1000, so I’m a little gob smacked that thirty times that have signed on within just one week! The support that is pouring in for Queensland farmers – all through word of mouth – has been just amazing. Australians love the fact they can buy Aussie produce in their local store, and our livelihoods depend on water access.
“I truly can not fathom why or how our government can be giving away such a precious resource for free – take as much you want, they’re saying – when right now close to 70% of Queensland is still in drought.”
Mr Emmott said he planned to write to the Premier to request a meeting so he could hand the petition over in person.
“Lots of Queenslanders are worried about the impact that this mine will have, and I think this issue is important enough to leave my farm for because there’s plenty of other mines looking at this with interest. I want to look her in the eye when I deliver this on behalf of all those people who have signed on, and demand some answers.”
Farmers for Climate Action CEO Verity Morgan-Schmidt said it was galvanizing for farmers to see how much support they had among Australians.
“Australians have come out in force to support this petition. Our community is committed to a sustainable future with a thriving rural sector and clean energy. The community has spoken and we now call upon the Premier to recognise the concerns of Aussie farmers and consumers, and rescind this unlimited water licence,” Ms Morgan-Schmidt said.
In Queensland, the proposed Adani-owned Carmichael coal mine has been granted unlimited access to groundwater. The mine, the biggest of nine proposed for the Galilee Basin west of Rockhampton, is expected to draw 26 million litres of water per day from its pits. Over its life this would total 355 billion litres of water.
Notes for Editors:
- To view or sign the petition go to: https://www.change.org/p/premier-annastacia-palaszczuk-protect-the-great-artesian-basin-and-support-aussie-farmers/share?after_sign_exp=default&just_signed=true
- Farmers for Climate Action is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organisation of 2000 farmers and leaders in agriculture committed to tackling climate change.
- Farmers for Climate Action has joined the Stop Adani Alliance, an alliance of 13 groups, representing 1.5 million Australians who have come together to stop Adani’s coal mine, rail and port project. See here for the Alliance Declaration and member organisations.
- Latest drought figures can be accessed here
Media inquiries: Dinah Arndt on 0425 791 394 or dinah@climatemediacentre.org.au or Greg Muller on 0414 654 288 or greg@climatemediacentre.org.au