12 July 2024: A Senate inquiry has backed ACC’s stance and recommended a legislative ban on carbon capture and storage in the Great Artesian Basin (GAB).
The decision, announced yesterday, is a major setback for Canadian miner Glencore that wanted to dump waste CO2 into the aquifer supplying water to ACC feedlots.
Earlier this year nearly 700 ACC staff signed a multi-lingual petition opposing the proposal. In April ACC’s CEO Anthony Lee appeared in a Landline documentary, one of several interviewees explaining the necessity for clean water to produce quality food. Series 2024 : ABC iview
Also in April, ACC staff attended a Federal Court challenge to the proposal – that AgForce challenge is ongoing. In the interim, the Queensland State Government has blocked the Glencore plan.
ACC’s submission to the Senate committee was quoted in yesterday’s report. Here it is…
2.44 Australian Country Choice (ACC) drew attention to potential impacts of the
project to its operations, noting that all three of its feedlots and most of its
grazing properties are completely reliant on groundwater supply from the GAB,
including the Precipice Sandstone aquifer specifically. ACC added that the
aquifer is the only viable water source available for future expansion of its
operations, and any deterioration of the groundwater would significantly
devalue the company’s water entitlements.
2.45 In addition, ACC highlighted the contrast in economic activity for the local
community between its operations and the project’s operations, arguing that its
operations contribute to 41 regional jobs and 677 indirect jobs, compared to only
five operational positions projected from Glencore’s project.
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