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Graham “Skroo” Turner, whose $365 million fortune makes him one of Australia’s richest people, is setting up a koala sanctuary in Queensland in a bid to stop a coal mine.
The Queensland Times reports that Turner, a wealthy resort owner, is spearheading a legal challenge to coal projects at Ebenezer and Grandchester.
Lawyers for the groups opposed to the mine submit that Mines Minister Stirling Hinchliffe had no legal right to renew Zedemar Holdings’ lease on the mine.
Zedemar is selling the 675-hectare Ebenezer mine and the nearby 9202ha Bremer View coal project to OGL Resources, which plans to reactivate the mine.
Queensland Times quotes Turner saying the area’s wildlife needs protecting, especially koalas, whose numbers are down 40% in the Ipswich region.
His plan is to fence off about 800 hectares and plant trees as habitat for the cuddly creatures.
Comments
Mark Harder
Koalas are emblematic of Australia, like the bald eagle in the US, so I can see why Australians want to protect it. But it’s one thing to block a mine to preserve Koalas, and quite another thing to preserve Koalas in order to block a mine. Which does Turner think he’s doing?