AN LNP government will not approve any mining or coal seam gas activity across Gowrie Junction and the Felton Valley.
Continuing aggressive campaigning across regional Queensland following the LNP's release of its Resource and Energy Strategy last week as the next election looms, LNP state parliamentary leader Jeff Seeney addressed gatherings across the Darling Downs on Wednesday, where he said no coal mining or coal seam gas activity would be approved if an LNP government was elected.
Under the Statutory Regional Planning scheme the LNP has proposed to challenge the Bligh government's Strategic Cropping Land (SCL) legislation, controversial resource hot spots such as the Darling Downs and Central Highlands will have regional plans fast-tracked to provide assurances to current users.
These plans will provide "no go" zones for resource sector activities where those activities are seen to be incompatible with existing industries.
"We would be working very quickly to get these regional land use maps in place and we can use the precautionary principle to prevent any opportunistic resource sector applications getting through while we are putting these mechanisms in place," Mr Seeney said.
"This regional planning should have been done a long time ago. It should have been done pre-emptively before the government made these approvals. The Labor party's two kilometre buffer zone policy was just a knee-jerk response to concerns from the community.
"The planning has not been done and nor has the administration.
"We want to provide assurances to rural communities. We are eager to get more boots on the ground from the government departments to make sure whatever approvals are given, they are administrated properly.
"But we can only do this if we are in government - it is difficult to do anything from opposition."