Any proposed land use development, be it residential, commercial, broad-scale clearing or mining should adhere to the planning and environmental standards set by the government and determined by the independent authority established to consider the evidence put forward during the approvals process.

The evidence presented by Shenhua Watermark has been subjected to unprecedented levels of public scrutiny and satisfied the Planning Assessment Commission (PAC).

Unfortunately, the very people who insisted the project be assessed on its merits by an impartial body free from political interference are now crying foul at the umpire.

The project’s approval is the culmination of years of research, planning, and methodical scientific assessment. 

The PAC’s determination confirmed the science behind the project is crystal clear – the project will not endanger farming on the black soils or the water irrigators on the Plains rely on – and acknowledged the potential the project can unlock in terms of increased employment, royalty receipts and a more diverse economic base.

Everyone working on the Watermark project appreciates that this region should be farmed for future generations. 

In return, we ask that facts – not fear – guide us into the future. 

The weight of evidence supported by the PAC’s findings should not be ignored by those who simply do not want their huge landholdings to co-exist with a new neighbour, even if that neighbour is committed to growing the region and sharing the benefits of living and working here with hundreds of workers and their families.

My team will continue to focus on developing the project to maximise those benefits for the good of the region and the state. 

We are confident that the final independent scientific assessment by the federal government, underpinned by a sound technical and economic case, will trump a group of individuals who it now seems, simply don’t want us in “their” region. 

Paul Jackson

Project Manager

 Shenhua Watermark