Friends of Stradbroke Island

This is the unedited version of an article published in the latest Stradbroke Island News. Contrary to the misleading claims by some State politicians, the amendments to the North Stradbroke Island Protection and Sustainability Act passed by parliament on 21 November, 2013 did not extend sand mining to 2035. That could have been done, but it wasn’t. The release, on 6 February, of a consolidated North Stradbroke Act incorporating the amendments exposes the politicians’ misinformation. This is a link to it – https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/N/NorthStradA11.pdf The truth is that no extension of sand mining is scheduled to take place until 2019. Another indisputable fact is that the current expiry date for the Enterprise mine’s leases remains as 31 December, 2019. The November amendments allow Sibelco to apply for renewal of the relevant mining leases to 2035 – but the applications cannot be made until 2019. As with all legislation, the Act can be amended again ...

Below is the text of the FOSI submission dated 28 March 2014 to Department of Natural Resources & Mines. Proposal to change the law relating to mining lease notifications and objections Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission. Mines have such massive impacts on our environment and communities that it is essential that any person or group can stand up and raise public interest issues, including in an open court. We know from bitter experience this proposal, if implemented, will tip the balance too far in favour of the destruction of the environment by mining companies and cause greater community division. It would be a backward step for the State government to change the law that provides public interest safeguards for the community. From our own recent experience on North Stradbroke Island, where special legislation has been used to extinguish pre-existing community rights to object to and challenge the rene...

The following article by Sue Ellen Carew, FOSI President was published in the Stradbroke Island News - Summer 2012 Sand mining continues to destroy old growth forests and animal habitat on Stradbroke It may come as a surprise to many visitors holidaying on the island over summer to learn that North Stradbroke Island is still being mined. There are still three large active mines. The mining company, Sibelco, plans to close the Yarraman sand mine near Point Lookout in 2015. The giant Enterprise sand mine in the middle of the island – you can see it from the headland at Point Lookout – is currently allowed to keep working for another seven years until 2020, thanks to the former government’s renewal of expired mining leases. The silica mine at Vance near the Amity turnoff, in prime koala country, is currently allowed to keep working until 2025. The giant Enterprise and Yarraman mines work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The company continues to lobby to be allowed to continue mining fo...