EXCLUSIVE
MINING has disturbed a whopping 220,000 hectares of Queensland land, yet just 550ha or 0.25 per cent has been properly rehabilitated.
Government data shows just 18,000ha, eight per cent, of the 220,000ha total has been “progressively rehabilitated”.
For scale, the proposed Adani mega-mine is expected to disturb 28,000ha that will need to be rehabilitated once the project stops production.
The cost of rehabilitating every hectare of land affected by mining in Queensland would top $8.7 billion, according to Treasury data.
Now a proposed law change could ensure the resource firms are the ones footing the bill for fixing up mining lands, even if they fall into liquidation.
Mining companies pay finan…
Read the full article at: https://www.gladstoneobserver.com.au/news/more-than-99-of-disturbed-mining-land-still-needs-/3350497/