Trad Calls on Seeney to Give Community a Seat at the Table

Media Release.

Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney has refused to guarantee community members and environmental scientists a role in the critical government inquiry into streamlining mining industry regulation.

Shadow Environment Minister Jackie Trad said Mr Seeney had confirmed that mining industry representatives and select individuals from mining companies had been invited to submit ideas for deregulation but genuine community and environmental concerns would not be sought.

Ms Trad said during Estimates hearings today, the Deputy Premier had refused to confirm that the net would be cast wider than the mining industry.

“That means environmental scientists, regional communities and interested members of the public will not be invited, sought out or encouraged to provide advice into the powerful Resources Cabinet Committee about how deregulation would affect their lives and communities,” Ms Trad said.

“As you would expect from this LNP Government, they will only hear one side of the story – the side they want to hear.

“This is a Committee that has been established, in the words of the Deputy Premier, to “aggressively examine impacts of government regulation on the mining industry”.

“Well, there’s nothing aggressive about lazily listening to the industry while refusing to take on board concerns about the environment and the wider concerns of the Queensland community.

“The Deputy Premier needs to explain why himself and five of his Ministerial colleagues refuse to listen.

“He needs to explain why no-one other than themselves and the industry will have a seat at the table.

“He needs to give an undertaking that this Committee will not be a whitewash – and an undertaking that every voice that needs to be heard will be.”