Save Glenden #2 opinion piece by Mayor Anne Baker

Published on 18 August 2023

After reading Michael Madigan’s article on Glenden yesterday, I was left a little confused and frankly surprised at QCoal’s managing director Christopher Wallin’s comments.

It makes you wonder if this is the type of misinformation they are giving to media and the public.

What sort of misinformation are they giving their staff in private?

Mr Wallin states that QCoal is being unfairly targeted.

I struggle to understand how a billion-dollar mining company and its millionaire owner being held to their approval conditions and asked to support the community whose resources they are profiting from is unfair.

No one can ignore the fact that there is an abundance of land and hundreds of vacant homes in Glenden ready for their workers to use while working at the mine.

Let’s be very clear here.

There has never been a question as to the need for a workers’ camp for those who choose to fly-in, fly out or drive in, drive out.

The original approval allows 70% of the QCoal workforce to work under these arrangements and reside in a workers’ camp. 

The battle here is not about the workers arrangements.

It is about the actual location of that camp.

QCoal have changed their proposal from an “in town” camp that supports community sustainability to an onsite mine camp just 20km away that will separate those workers from the town. 

It’s clear to anyone reading this why the location matters to us because it could be the difference between a sustainable community or a bulldozer. 

The real question is why does that 20km mean so much to QCoal?