The small town community of Acland has not prospered as promised by Queensland Government. Heritage sites including the war memorial and heritage-listed timber colliery are in the path of planned expansions for 2009. The town is disappearing as houses and infrastucture are removed. The quiet, peaceful and productive farming area remembered from five years ago is now regularly blanketed in a haze of dust and subjected to round the clock noise and mining traffic.

The fabric of close-knit farming community is being ripped apart, and that is the human tragedy and the best quality cropping country will become poor quality grazing country. Read the story reported in Queensland Country Life here.

How many new coal mines does Queensland need? At what cost? Locally and globally? Have landholder interests been protected from negative affects from mining by existing legislation?

A Queensland Coal Communities Listening Tour  has been organised by researchers and community organisers concerned about climate change. They will be holding ‘listening posts' and a public meetings around Central and Southern Queensland

At these gatherings locals are invited to share perspective on coal and climate change in their community.

Trained researchers will listen, without judgement or debate, and share these findings at public meetings across Queensland.

The aim is to develop an understanding of the key issues and concerns of people who are dependent on or affected by the coal industry, and how together we can accommodate these concerns as we seek to address climate change and move towards a sustainable economy.

Read about the tour at this site http://coalcommunities.wordpress.com/about/