Jun 20th 2018

Townsville airstrip decision doesn't go far enough

Media release GetUp members in Townsville have cautiously welcomed Townsville City Council’s decision to redirect $18.5 million in funding  previously set aside to help fund a remote airstrip for coal mining giant Adani - but want assurances the plan is now dead and buried.

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

GetUp members in Townsville have cautiously welcomed Townsville City Council’s decision to redirect $18.5 million in funding  previously set aside to help fund a remote airstrip for coal mining giant Adani - but want assurances the plan is now dead and buried.

GetUp members want the council to rule out any future funding for a FIFO airstrip even if Adani acquire the finance for their Galilee Basin mine.

A 1,642-signature petition was today delivered to Townsville City Councillor Ann-Maree Greaney, calling on the council to permanently rule out directing ratepayer money to help Adani.

GetUp members are also calling for a motion to be tabled at next Tuesday’s Townsville City Council meeting that would formally lock in the decision to redirect the funds.

GetUp member and South Townsville resident Erika Ferguson said she started the petition to encourage the council to do the right thing and listen to what the people of Townsville wanted.

“It doesn’t matter whether you support Adani or not - people in Townsville clearly don’t want public money going to a billionaire,” she said.

“It’s clear that the people of Townsville don’t want their ratepayer money wasted on a private airstrip for Adani, not now and not ever.”

Cam Leitch, a GetUp member and co-signatory to the petition, said the council should focus on supporting clean energy not polluting coal.

“North Queensland is already seeing a private sector boom in large-scale renewables. The council should work with the state government to encourage more public and private investment in our clean energy future rather than underwriting an old and dirty industry.”

The latest Renewable Energy Index compiled by Green Energy Markets revealed more than 6000 jobs have already been created by large scale renewable energy projects in Queensland.