Ag families top mine for community input

The GTAG say their children make up the bulk of the Orion, Gindie, Springsure and Rolleston Schools. The farmers have launched a local awareness campaign.

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GOLDEN Triangle members support more than 140 local businesses and spend between $23 and $25 million annually in the local community, not including major machinery purchases like tractors and headers, according to a recent socio-economic study conducted by the action group.

The united farmers have launched a local awareness campaign focusing on Springsure and Emerald outlining "the figures the mining industry doesn't advertise" to the public.

Five thousand brochures and stickers were distributed throughout businesses as the threatened landholders went on the offensive with the goal of "raising public awareness and support", GTAG's Kate Sullivan said.

"We need to educate residents on how important agriculture is to the local community, many of us spend 100% of our income here," Mrs Sullivan said. "There is no way you see that sort of royalty returned into the community from mining projects."

A GTAG fact sheet, aptly titled The Inconvenient Truth, stated about half the population of the Golden Triangle was between 30 and 45, with the other between 46 and 60.

With the 56 young families that live in the district, come the kids that make up the numbers of the Orion, Gindie, Springsure and Rolleston schools, the report said.

"The maximum employment during the life of the proposed Springsure mine is estimated by Bandanna Energy to be only 300 people during construction and an operations workforce of 332, presumably in non-resident camps on site," the report said.

It argued the Golden Triangle provided many opportunities for employment; with more than 270 contractors working in the region and 122 people working fulltime on farms.

"It is not too late to put a solid plan in place that allows for both mining and agriculture to thrive in Queensland, not just for the next five years, but the next 150 years," Mrs Sullivan said.

"We can have both if we are prepared to make a stand now."