Young people concerned about their community

Friends of Felton Chair, Rob McCreath, was invited to give a talk to 90 Grade 9 students at Pittsworth State High School on Monday. The students are studying sustainability, and wanted to hear our concerns about the mine, petrochemical plant, and power station planned for Felton. They were a very enthusiastic audience, and very interested to discuss what effect the development might have on their town, their lifestyle, and their community.



Today's Pittsworth Sentinel printed the following letters from 2 students -


Sir,
I am a student at Pittsworth State High School. We have recently had a guest speaker speaking to us and he was telling us about the Felton Mine. If the mine is out in Felton than it will eventually reach Pittsworth.
The Felton Mine will be very close to Pittsworth and will be very bad for us all. Some say it will be a good thing that the mine is put in but I don't think so. Yes the Felton Mine will give us 24 mil­lion tonnes of coal a year but it will also pollute the area and when the wind blows our way the bad polluted air will to, also the dust will be every­where.
We will get more traffic and trucks. Pittsworth is known as a quite country town and if we attract more people it will ruin it for everyone, most peo­ple in Pittsworth are happy with Pittsworth as it is.
In Felton there are families that have been living there for generations and if a mine goes there it will affect them all, they might even eventually lose some of the nice land they own. They will also hear loud explosive bangs all the time, and if children live here you can't help but think if they are going to be ok. If this mine was in Felton it would be one of the biggest mines in Queensland, it will be a great loss of agricultural land.
I am trying to stop this mine and I am hoping people will help. If you want to help stop this mine but need more information just go to http://www.friendsoffelton.blogspot.com/.
Yours Sincerely, Student 1


Sir,
I am a student at Pittsworth State High School and we have recently had a guest speaker in to talk to us about the Felton Mine.
If the mine is put in it will eventually reach Pittsworth. Some say it will be good that it will reach us here because of business but it will bring trucks and dust as well. At full production the mine would take out 24 million tonnes of coal a year.
This would make it one of the biggest coal mines in Queensland. There will be a massive loss of prime agricultural land. There are families that have been living there for generations and hope to live there for many more but that dream will be shattered because of this mine.
I am trying to put a stop to this mine and if you want to help, visit the website http://www.friendsoffelton.blogspot.com/ and help us stop the mine from ruining lives.

Yours sincerely, Student 2