THE Newman Government has tasted its first political loss and now faces being permanently dumped from the approval process for mines and major projects.
The Commonwealth has given the state 10 days to come up with a reason why it should not be axed from major projects such as the giant Alpha coal mine.
If it fails, the Gillard Government would be forced to undertake its own environmental assessments, duplicating the state process and adding unnecessary "green tape" which Premier Campbell Newman has promised to cut.
The Alpha project is only one of the headaches now for the Newman Government as Environment Minister Tony Burke is also concerned over the impact on the Great Barrier Reef by the Queensland approval of the South of Embley bauxite mine near Weipa.
Ahead is a huge backlog of more than 150 projects still sitting in the Federal Government's hands with the likely addition of the multibillion-dollar Arrow Energy LNG project at Gladstone and more mega mines in central Queensland.
Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney returned from meetings with Mr Burke in Sydney yesterday still locked out of the approval process of Alpha.
Courier Mail
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