POLITICS and big business make inseparable bed fellows, blinded by each other's follies and dependent on each other for survival.
While communities are dependent on both, they are unfortunately sidelined when concerns about impact get in the way.
The injustice of coal seam gas and the tragedy of coal dust on communities may seem well removed from the Redlands but then, perhaps not.
Redlands is already home to one of the largest quarries in South East Queensland at Mount Cotton. A development proposal currently with Redland City Council is for a second large quarry, referred to by the local community as a super quarry.
What does it mean for the Redlands? Around 80,000 trucks a year for the next 60 years, increased silica dust into our air, destruction of a unique ecosystem and the sterilising of 600 hectares from future low-impact development that is more consistent with the vision for Redlands.
The community impact is not only the obvious of mixing families and heavy trucks on our roads, but the dust from the material to be quarried has 20 times the silica content of coal.
In addition to visible dust produced, a micro fine silica dust invisible to the eye that stays suspended in the air for days, is also produced.
Fine silica dust can pass from our lungs into our blood supply and long-term exposure is linked to a range of chronic diseases in adults. There are no long-term studies on children, who are far more vulnerable.
Both the community and environ-mental impact from this development is enormous and long-term.
Can we expect the strength of character from our politicians to do what is right for the community?
_ Anthony Moloney, Mount Cotton