Back in late January, about 20 mines had been given approval to pump out excess floodwater while another 18 were seeking environmental clearance.

“The chickens continue to come home to roost from the Queensland government’s stubborn refusal in late January, and since, to declare the coal industry’s water inundation predicament an industry-wide emergency,” Roche said.

“Coal export numbers for May are now in and they do not make for happy reading.

“Coal exports in May 2011 at 12.2 million tonnes, were some 23 per cent below the May 2010 level and the lowest month of May export tally for at least five years,” Roche said.

Queensland’s coal export trade would fall about $7 billion, about 40 million tonnes short of a 200 million tonne 2010-11 target set prior to the wet season.

Roche said he welcomed Environment and Resource Management Minister Kate Jones’ support for a review of the conditions regulating water discharge from coal mines, and hoped she had a plan to help remove the present water in the Queensland mines, equivalent to the volume of Sydney Harbour.

“That review must very quickly translate into real changes that will allow Queensland coal mines to get ready for the next wet season, now only a few months away, and wet seasons beyond,” he said.

“As we hopefully start to see more normal production and export levels towards the end of 2011, it needs to be clearly understood by the government that this can’t be achieved by the current situation where many mines are spending huge sums of money to move water around on their minesites, because they are currently unable to release the water offsite.

“Moving water around on minesites is a temporary solution. Sustainable royalty numbers over the forward estimates require a long-term fix, which in itself will take some months to have effect.”