00:00 This is Mark Mason's slice of paradise.
00:06 He carefully tends to each tree, but he's worried the farm's future could be cut short
00:13 if his water security dried up.
00:16 "It jeopardises this region's ability to be competitive to grow food for the nation."
00:23 Fox Resources has applied for a Mineral Development Licence for a 7,800 hectare coking coal mine.
00:31 "The prospect of a coal mine being allowed in a food bowl is just ridiculous."
00:36 The initial licence was rejected by the Resources Minister in 2022, the first to be turned down
00:44 by the current Queensland Government.
00:46 But 18 months later, that decision was set aside by the Supreme Court.
00:52 "This is a process that we know has been challenged through courts and is now being resubmitted
00:59 for a final decision."
01:00 The company says it won't disrupt water supply.
01:03 "We're not going to have any impact on the aquifers or the underground water."
01:08 "This is prime agricultural land and we don't want that damaged by mining, so that's not
01:13 for our region."
01:14 Commodity experts say labour shortages, extreme weather and growing demand for steel are driving
01:20 up the price of metallurgical coal, incentivising companies to invest in new mines.
01:27 "If people think there's a cost of living crisis at the moment, you imagine taking away
01:32 one of the biggest food bowls within Australia."
01:35 "To have a coal mine kilometres away is just disastrous for people."
01:40 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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