(Photo: Moreton Resources)
July 25, 2017
Moreton Resources has “praised” the Kingaroy Concerned Citizens Group’s 385 Alive art project, telling the ASX it is a tribute to the company’s rehabilitation of its former underground coal gasification site.
In a statement issued on Monday, Moreton announced it has engaged two different consulting firms to analyse rail and slurry pipe options to transport coal from its proposed Kingaroy coal mine to the north coast rail line.
Moreton has also engaged a third firm to conduct baseline air quality and noise monitoring studies for its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Moreton Resources executive chairman Jason Elks told the ASX the company was still on track to prepare its EIS by the end of 2017 for public comment in early 2018.
He believed the EIS would be one of the most comprehensive ever seen by the State Government due to the abundance of historical water, wind and related data in the region.
But Mr Elks reserved half of the ASX statement to “praise” the KCCG’s art project, which is encouraging photographers and artists to capture the area covered by the company’s MDL385 mining lease on film and canvas.
Mr Elks admitted Moreton was not involved in the art project but said he was “delighted” the KCCG was acknowledging how well Moreton had rehabilitated its former Coolabunia UCG site.
“This of course is the same land form to which Moreton Resources Limited remediated and rehabilitated from the former resource extraction processes, to which at the time it was acknowledged that there was widespread concern over what the long term effects and issues on the landscape would be,” Mr Elks said.
“To celebrate through pictures and art the outcomes of that rehabilitation and the actual impacts to the land from the former trials is a testament to the mining industry, and in particular Moreton Resources Limited, for our endeavours and validated outcomes which will be captured in art.
“In summary, we are exceptionally pleased with the advancements of MRV Tarong Basin Coal PL and the recognition of our efforts that are being received through this current endeavour, which will be a major focus of our EIS submission, detailing the factual outcomes and impacts of such a proposed operation and the quantum of positive benefits that will be felt through the community as we continue to advance our project.”
- Related article: Mine Fight Comes Alive With Art
The pictures have NOTHING to do with the rehabilitation, Mr Elks. It is not ‘celebrating’ anything you are doing – how dare you twist things. It is actually documenting what would be LOST forever should the mine go ahead. The beautiful land, the livelihood of many farmers and so much more.
I am totally gobsmacked…but not surprised. ..Mr Elks is a master of spin and constantly twists the truth to his own company’s advantage. His ridiculous “praise” of the KCCG arts competition is yet another example.
Mr Elks, may I suggest that you go and visit all the landholders trapped in your MDL 385 and ask them how they are dealing with your imposed “living grief”. It’s not about a few patches of reclaimed grass that no doubt would have grown back by itself – it’s about disrupted lives and businesses and the loss of a landscape that you most certainly will not be able to rehabilitate to its former glory.
Rosemary, I have heard what he told one of the land owners to do and the sheer stupidity almost floored me. But as we have seen and have evidence of, they are the masters of warping things to hide the real issues at hand – to brush off concerns and to find an angle they think that people will swallow.