The mining town of Moura is located at the southern end of the Bowen Basin, in the Banana Shire, and has experienced many a boom and bust as the resources industry has ebbed and flowed over the years.
Coal mining first came to Moura in the 1960s and is now home to the massive opencut Dawson Mine, owned by Anglo Coal Australia.
The latest expansion of the Dawson Mine by ACA has created growing pains never before experienced in the area over its 40-year association with coal mining, which is set to continue with Cockatoo Coal’s planned Wonbindi mine and the Belvedere underground coal mine.
Churchill says while growth is good, and progress is positive for rural and regional communities, it creates significant challenges and growing pains for communities and local government.
“Growing our smaller towns in the shire helps to ensure their long-term sustainability but it must be done in a planned way and with the support of the local community. As the mayor, I would rather have to deal with growing pains than any community dying pains.
“I strongly believe that Moura, with its long history of supporting the mining industry, can show the good, the bad and the ugly of how communities are affected by mining and the pressures that are put on local communities. There is no doubt that, on reflection, things could have been done a lot better by everyone.”
Speaking about the impacts of mining on rural towns and the region at the recent Surat Basin Coal Conference in Brisbane, Churchill emphasised that he is a strong supporter of the mining industry and recognised the need for proper planning and open and honest communication between mining companies, the local community and the local, State and Federal governments.
In Moura, the major impacts of mining growth have been on the local community, including housing (especially affordable accommodation), health services, child care, aged care, roads, and sporting and recreational infrastructure.
The most significant impact was, and still is, water.
“The water allocation for the township was at full capacity even before the current mine expansion [Dawson] commenced,” Churchill said.
He said the lesson learned from the Moura experience is that planning is critical and that adequate resources are obtained before any impacts on local communities are felt.
“Earlier commitments by mining companies, local and state governments are critical in helping mitigate impacts and creating a better prepared community as well as a preferred location for mine workers to live,” he said.
Churchill also added that the foundation for the successful growth of towns in mining areas is the involvement of the local community.
“The local community must be continually involved with the project, starting from the environmental impact study stage – which must embrace assessment of social impacts – and be a part of the growth and improvement of their town and district. They need to be a part of the destiny of their town,” he said.
The other key component is to ensure a good balance between mining, small business and the wide variety of rural production.
“The key to positive outcomes for the future will be from good planning and creating diversity,” Churchill said.
“History will clearly indicate that Moura and other mining towns rise and fall with resource demands. We must not let history repeat itself, therefore you need to be proactive to create the diversity. The Surat Basin can learn from the past.”
He said the proposed “opening of the Surat Basin” could provide the opportunity for towns such as Wandoan, Taroom and Miles to learn from Moura’s experiences and set new benchmarks for growing rural communities without the growing pains of the past.
