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Contents 1 Location of Felton in the Clarence-Moreton Basin of Queensland, Australia 2 Current situation analysis 2.1 Moffatt investigation, University of Queensland, Nov 2009 3 Most important local issues 3.1 Moffatt investigation, University of Queensland, Nov 2009 4 Intentions of government policy 4.1 Moffatt investigation, University of Queensland, Nov 2009 5 Felton economy 5.1 Agriculture 5.1.1 Price of agricultural land 5.1.2 ABS agricultural productivity data 5.2 Mining 5.2.1 Australia Institute report on mining boom impact 6 Questions 6.1 References

Location of Felton in the Clarence-Moreton Basin of Queensland, Australia

Felton is located in the Clarence-Moreton Basin of Queensland, Australia It is located at Latitude 27:49S Longitude 151:44E.

Current situation analysis

Moffatt investigation, University of Queensland, Nov 2009

An overview of an investigation into proposed development in the Clarence-Moreton based community, Queensland, undertaken by Jennifer Moffatt, Rural Clinical School, University of Queensland, published November 2009^[1]

1. productive agricultural land - broad scale cropping and grazing and small scale cropping, grazing, horticulture, equine and poultry; smaller holdings mean area is quite closely settled
2. most of the area is prime agricultural land
3. Strong social attachment to the community - many farming families have worked their properties for many generations
4. Jobs
   • Toowoomba only 20 minutes away: result of industry growth could be competition for jobs from outside local area
   • Type of skills required: skills shortage or skill surplus
   • influence of major players in making decisions regarding workforces being local or FIFO
5. Infrastructure - capacity of roads, their maintenance, safety and funding support are already inadequate
6. Negative impacts in two years since Felton project first proposed:
   • liquidity of rural property market affected - few sales and prices dropping
   • stress within farming sector ?and beyond? due to
     • uncertainty about the impacts on their viability regarding property value;
     • anticipated reduction in water availability and quality
     • risk of soil contamination by saline industrial by-product water
     • tensions between farming neighbours whose future prosperity will be affected by project and its boundaries
7. Positive impacts in two years since Felton project first proposed:
   • Increased community cohesion
8. Aquifers and groundwater are key to water quality - there are >500 bores in the area, providing water for stock and domestic use. Depletion of, damage to or contamination of aquifers could impact water quality and also soil health e.g. by increasing salinity

Most important local issues

Moffatt investigation, University of Queensland, Nov 2009

An overview of an investigation into proposed development in the Clarence-Moreton based community, Queensland, undertaken by Jennifer Moffatt, Rural Clinical School, University of Queensland, published November 2009^[1]

1. water - quality and quantity
2. jobs
3. infrastructure - inadequate roads
4. economic viability
5. massive coal and coal seam gas reserves with consequent pressure from industry on state and local government to realise the profits

Intentions of government policy

Moffatt investigation, University of Queensland, Nov 2009

An overview of an investigation into proposed development in the Clarence-Moreton based community, Queensland, undertaken by Jennifer Moffatt, Rural Clinical School, University of Queensland, published November 2009^[1]

1. co-ordinated inclusive approach to avoid negative social impacts <- by introduction of Sustainable Resource Communities Policy (2008)
2. sustainable development promoted - regional govt advisory body converted to corporation (Surat Basin Corporation 2009)

Felton economy

Agriculture

Price of agricultural land

Ranges to about $10000/ha

ABS agricultural productivity data

Agricultural Production Data 2005-06^[2]

The locality of Felton in the Darling Downs crosses four Queensland Statistical Local Areas across which Felton is located: Cambooya (S)-Pt B; Clifton; Jondaryan (S)-Pt B and Pittsworth. Agricultural value and area utilised for agriculture are given below and used to calculate productivity data by area and by land use.

Excel spreadsheet working document with underlying ABS data

N.B. It is important to be aware that the 'Productivity' quoted here is actually the gross figure at farm gate - for further detail see ABS Catalogue No. 7503.0. By weighting the different agricultural land uses, various assumptions have been made and no correction has been made for skewing caused by 'niche micro use' within the four ABS SLAs analysed. The final conclusion regarding 'productivity' in this area is approximate and of the order of gross income at farm gate being $800-$1000 per ha.

'	'	'	Crops - total ha	Crops - total value ($)	Crops - $/ha pa	Nurseries, cut flowers and cultivated turf - total ha	Nurseries, cut flowers and cultivated turf - total value ($)	Nurseries, cut flowers and cultivated turf - $/ha pa	Vegetables - total ha	Vegetables - total value ($)	Vegetables - $/ha pa	Fruit - total ha	Fruit - total value ($)	Fruit - $/ha pa	Total livestock - (slaughtering and products) ha	Total livestock - (slaughtering and products) value ($)	Total livestock - (slaughtering and products) $/ha pa	TOTAL AREA	TOTAL VALUE
Queensland			2,403,495	3,665,691,126		4,631	272,980,990		37,668	743,849,039		42,299	727,549,773		135,563,342	4,269,007,505		138,051,435	9,679,078,433
Darling Downs			1,091,176	683,716,799		472	31,207,140		4,744	88,538,137		5,216	37,014,976		5,698,946	1,107,247,389		6,800,554	1,947,724,441
Cambooya (S) - Pt B			10,519	4,058,909		6	443,103		82	344,948		88	55,842		29,899	14,751,966		40,594	19,654,768
Clifton (S)			31,708	21,802,535		23	655,645		601	7,126,892		624	1,034		32,799	29,040,059		65,755	58,626,165
Jondaryan (S) - Pt B			64,538	45,442,236		1	345,162		17	103,830		18	38,812		57,811	103,887,022		122,385	149,817,062
Pittsworth (S)			52,748	42,114,223			0		289	2,822,627		289	0		26,015	49,265,215		79,341	94,202,065
			CROPS			Nurseries, cut flowers, turf			Vegetables			Fruit			Livestock			Total
Total (Cambooya B + Clifton + Jondaryan B +Pittsworth)			159,513	113,417,903	711	30	1,443,910	48,130	989	10,398,297	10,514	1,019	95,688	94	146,524	196,944,262	1,344	308,075	322,300,060
	% Value			35.19%			0.45%			3.23%			0.03%			61.11%
	% Area			51.78%			0.01%			0.32%			0.33%			47.56%
	Value $ / ha pa			711			48,130			10,514			94

'	Crops	Nurseries turf	Veg	Fruit	Livestock	TOTAL Ag. Prod.
% Ag. Prod.value	0.35	0.00	0.03	0.00	0.61
% area	0.52	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.48
Value $/ha pa	711	48130	10514	94	1344	1046

Financial performance of farms in the Darling Downs region

Mining

Australia Institute report on mining boom impact

1. Benefits to the Australian economy from the mining boom since 2004 are difficult to demonstrate and do not seem to have a permanent effect. ^[3]

Questions

1. What is the likelihood of restoring the present prime agricultural land to be used as it is now if it has been subject to major disturbance?
2. Where is the scientific evidence that rehabilitation is possible - with specific regard to productive capacity?
3. What would be the time frame for rehabilitation if it were shown to be possible?
4. Should prime agricultural land be regarded as a limited commodity?
5. Are there adequate regulations for effective environmental protection?
6. Does the state government have adequate capacity to provide effective monitoring of environmental emission regulations?
7. What would the cumulative effect across the region Surat / Clarence Morton basins of inadequate monitoring of environmental emission regulations?
8. Would Felton benefit from increased population - across various dimensions such as improving viability of small schools; greater likelihood of improved health and medical services; new work skills; more people for activities such as recreation, sporting and community groups?
9. What pressure would increased population put on housing? increased rents?

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} An investigation into the anticipated impacts of mining proposed in the Clarence-Moreton Basin communities: The Felton project: Final report
2. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics website
3. ↑ The mining boom: where did it go?