JERICHO district cattle producers left the Alpha Mining field day feeling very concerned about lack of protection against the impact of mining.
Bruce and Annette Currie, from Speculation, a breeding cattle property 78km north of Jericho, have spent $90,000 in the past seven months representing themselves in the Queensland Land Court, objecting to the granting of the mining lease to the Kevin's Corner project operated by GVK and Hancock Coal, and to the Alpha Coal Project, solely operated by Hancock Coal.
"We haven't been able to get a signed 'make good agreement' that will protect our ground water supplies," Mr Currie said.
"If the mines are so confident they are not going to impact on our ground water, why is it so difficult to get a make good agreement?
"We haven't asked them to be liable for anything they are not responsible for."
However, the indirect cost has been much greater, as Mrs Currie has been left to manage the 25,000ha property and running 2000 breeders, with the help of their children on holidays while Mr Currie has been absent fighting the battle in the courts for long stretches of time.
"The judge has until the end of January 2014, to hand down his recommendations," Mr Currie said.
"However, we have heard these recommendations could be handed down before Christmas.
"So we guess it depends on the judge's recommendations whether we will all have a good Christmas, or not."
