About 150 protesters rallied at a mining expo in Toowoomba on June 22 to protest the expansion of coal and coal seam gas mining in the Darling Downs region.
They confronted state mining minister Stirling Hinchliffe to demand that other areas in Queensland should be exempted from coal seam gas mining — similar to the recent rejection of a mining permit in Toowoomba, the June 23 Brisbane Courier Mail said.
Drew Hutton, from the Lock the Gate Alliance, said the minister should also reject coal seam gas permits in Warwick, Pittsworth, Highfields, and elsewhere in the Darling Downs region.
“Exploration permits currently for mining are granted regardless of what area they're going to,” Hutton said.
According to the Courier Mail, Hutton “said exploration permits could be put over the top of towns or residential estates, environmentally sensitive areas and good agricultural land”.
He said landowners should have the ultimate say on whether to allow mining companies to enter their land.
”People power will force the major parties to address these issues,” Hutton said. “Whichever one fails to do so will lose the next state election.”