The government in Queensland made new laws about mining. These laws take away people's right to say no to new mines. People can only go to court if they own land close to the mine. The mine must be within 125km of their land. If people live far away, they cannot object. A group called the Greens said the laws are bad. Another group called Lock the Gate said the government is hurting the land.
The minister said the laws help make decisions faster. He said people far away should not have a say. Queensland makes more coal than any other part of Australia. Now the minister can choose which complaints to hear. The minister works for the mining department. This is the same person who approves new mines.
A man named Anthony Gough works for a group that protects the land. He said the laws are unfair. He said people should be able to protect their land from bad mining. The old laws helped stop sand mining on K'Gari Island. K'Gari is also called Fraser Island. This island is famous for its beauty. People want to keep it safe.
Sources: theguardian.com
The words in bold are from the article.
| 1. made | a. ground |
| 2. land | b. pick |
| 3. fair | c. just |
| 4. close | d. created |
| 5. bad | e. listen to |
| 6. safe | f. protected |
| 7. laws | g. rules |
| 8. hear | h. harmful |
| 9. choose | i. near |
| 10. fast | j. quick |
1.d 2.a 3.c 4.i 5.h 6.f 7.g 8.e 9.b 10.j