1st Mar 2016, 3:54 PM – Senate Motions - North Stradbroke Island - Extend mining lease

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Liberal Senator Jo Lindgren (Qld), which means it was unsuccessful. Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young (SA) opposed the motion, saying that it

misrepresent[ed] the local Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee people, who have in fact launched a High Court challenge to the extension of the Belgian sand mining company's, Sibelco's, mining lease, which was granted by then Premier Newman.

Motion text

(a) notes that:

(i) the Queensland Government’s North Stradbroke Island Protection and Sustainability Bill 2015 will phase out sand mining by 2019,

(ii) there is a commitment from the North Stradbroke Island community to address future gaps and challenges by utilising mining forward estimate contributions that could be injected into supporting the local economy,

(iii) a strategy of ecotourism cannot replace the economic disadvantage that will befall the unprepared community, and

(iv) the Australian Workers’ Union has labelled the phase out of sand mining on the island by 2019 as ‘a kick in the guts’ for hundreds of workers living on the island and in the bayside communities; and

(b) calls on the Queensland Government to extend the mining lease to be compatible with the Council of Australian Governments ‘Closing the Gap’ agenda.