The Galilee Basin is part of the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) which is the biggest artesian basin in the world. The GAB is home to some of the largest ground water reservoirs in the world, which are the lifeblood of ecosystems in Central Queensland, acting as a life line for rural Australia. These aquifers are also of great cultural significance and form an integral part of connection to culture and country. The Galilee Basin is situated on Wangan and Jagalingou country and is currently facing toxic contamination and mass destruction with the impeding threat posed by the approvals of the Adani mine. The Galilee Basin also provides essential habitat for wildlife including the Southern Black-Throated Flinch, which is already endangered and likely to become extinct if the mine goes ahead. According to the Wangan and Jagalingou Family council ¨The scale of this mine means it would have devastating impacts on our native title, ancestral lands and waters, our totemic plants and animals, and our environmental and cultural heritage.¨
With the recent governmental approvals the Carmichael coal mine has been granted an unlimited 60-year water licence. This is particularly alarming given that according to researcher in Geochemistry, Ellen Moon ¨water pressure is (already) an issue with flows from artesian bores now roughly half what they were in 1915. Since then, the water level in some bores has fallen by as much as 80 metres, and a third of bores have stopped flowing altogether. This directly affects the human, plant and animal communities that rely on artesian water.¨Two reports for the Federal Government were submitted by CSIRO and Geoscience Australia in 2018 and early 2019 regarding groundwater management plans, monitoring and modelling by Adani Pty Ltd for its proposed Carmichael mine. They found three major flaws:-
1. Over-prediction of flow from the Carmichael River into the aquifers below.
2. Hydraulic conductivity values used in the model were significantly different from the values estimated by previous testing of the geological layers at the mine site.
3. The bore heights used to calibrate the model were incorrect
The fossil fuel industry is the single biggest contributor to global carbon emissions. With atmospheric carbon dioxide levels reaching 415 ppm we are on the brink of climate catastrophe. Scientists are pleading extractive industries to stop extracting and start transitioning to renewable and storing carbon in the soil as soon as possible. Friends of the Galilee Basin is an association that has been established to protect the precious water reservoirs, wildlife and country. The main objective is to help support frontline activists who are putting their bodies on the line as the last position of defence for the Galilee Basin. So far activists have helped to delay, disrupt and reduce the size of the Adani mega mine for over 5 years and have seen the China Stone project put on an indefinite hold. But the threat has not yet been won, Adani is continuing to construct their mine, and the Galilee Basin is at threat from other coal & gas projects. To ensure the front-line fight can continue, we must all ensure the continued security of the Binbee base & protect those protecting the Galilee.