The Kin Kin Quarry at Shepperson?s Hill has been the subject of fierce public debate, with a community group mounting an unsuccessful legal challenge against Neilsen Quality Gravel.
Senior academic Dr John Harrison of the University of Queensland has come under scrutiny by quarry supporters for making public statements about its impact. The academic led an economic and environment assessment study that found 87 per cent of residents opposed the quarry.
According to Kin Kin resident Lachlan Davis, who created the Supporters of Kin Kin Quarry page, Harrison posted comments deriding the quarry, stating that ?some greedy people want to trash the peace and serenity? of the town.
“While I respect Dr Harrison’s right as an individual to express his opinion as a representative of the university I believe he has a responsibility to remain impartial and unbiased during the process of overseeing this study,” Davis told The Noosa News. ?”My greatest concern is that his actions will have a negative effect on the credibility of the work being done by the students.”
The activist resident also told the paper that he?d received serious threats against his person over his support of the quarry.
“Several supporters of the quarry, myself included, have received explicit, serious threats against our lives,” Mr Davis said.
Dr. Harrison dismissed the death threats as ?colourful newspaper copy?.
Source: The Noosa News