FORGET about the proposed gargantuan, 60 million-tonne-per-annum (mtpa) Carmichael Coal Mine on Moray Downs, a bigger beast is set to devour grazing properties on the northern Galilee Basin.
Macmines Austasia plans to develop what would be the largest coal mine in Australia, north-west of Clermont, should the Chinese-owned company get approval to build the proposed 80mtpa China Stone Project.
According to its website, the company has discovered what is the largest resource of coal in the Galilee Basin some 9.8 billion tonnes which it plans to mine to fuel power stations in China.
The proposed starting date for construction, according to Macmines Austasia's website, is 2013. The company says it has already signed agreements with "two of the top five China power groups".
Queensland Country Life this week travelled to one of the properties the mining project would swallow if developed, Brian and Lorraine Corbett's 96,000-hectare Hyde Park.
The Corbetts have lived on Hyde Park since 1992 and they run the property in conjunction with two other stations the 85,790ha breeder block Oakland Park, Croydon, and the 13,354ha fattening block, Narollah, Corfield. Not only is Hyde Park covered by the Macmines proposed coal project, but three other companies - Resolve Geological, Vale and Blackwood Coal are also actively looking to conduct further exploratory drilling on the property.
Five other companies, which have not yet been active, hold tenements which cover Hyde Park.
The Corbetts are in negotiations for conduct and compensation agreements with Blackwood Coal, Macmines and Vale; to grant those companies access to conduct drilling programs.
Before 2008 the couple had never dealt with mining companies. Now, they do it on a daily basis. They regularly liaise with their consultant and solicitor.
They have been forced to put all planned projects for the property on hold, and still are in the dark as to whether their property will be purchased or not. The Corbetts say they are not against mining, they just want certainty about the future of Hyde Park.
"We have put a number of projects on hold on Hyde Park, we're just not going to do any improvements until we know what is happening," Mr Corbett said. "I don't know whether you can fight to keep the place. I think we're better off if we can get a fair deal.
"At this stage we would like to get out of the area where (Macmines) are working because they're just a headache."
Hyde Park adjoins the Acton Land and Cattle Co property, Moray Downs, which sensationally sold for $110 million to Adani Mining earlier this year to allow construction of the proposed Carmichael Coal Mine.
"It's become ridiculous, the amount of time we spend dealing with mining companies," Mr Corbett said.
"We just want certainty, one way or the other. I don't know how we get that."