anna bligh is set for crushing defeat - ucg?

I wonder if this will impact UCG progress in Queensland?


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/queensland-premier-anna-bligh-is-set-for-crushing-defeat/story-e6freuzr-1226308690501

Labor - which has been in power in Queensland for 20 of the past 23 years - is poised to lose at least 26 seats, with the Liberal National Party's primary vote up three points to 50 per cent and Labor flatlining on 28 per cent.

Two-party preferred figures have the LNP at 60.8 per cent and Labor on 39.2 with the party facing a state-wide swing against it of 11.7 per cent since the 2009 election.

The party could be left with a rump of only 23 to 25 MPs in the 89-seat parliament and Premier Anna Bligh is set to leave office with 58 per cent of voters dissatisfied in her performance





http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-02/newman-wont-rule-out-ucg-plant/3864632

Liberal National Party (LNP) leader Campbell Newman has not ruled out approving an underground coal gasification (UCG) plant in southern Queensland if the party wins government.

However, Mr Newman says Queensland mining applications need stricter environmental protocols.

The State Government shut down operations at the Cougar Energy site near Kingaroy in the state's South Burnett region in January last year, after tests on neighbouring bores found minute traces of banned chemicals.

Cougar Energy is suing the State Government for $34 million over its decision to close the operation.

A Kingaroy residents' group has raised concerns the LNP may resurrect the UCG plant near the town.

Mr Newman says the LNP will consider all applications.

"I gave a speech to the Queensland Resources Council a few months ago and I said there are things the industry wants in terms of getting approvals through the system," he said.

"I said to them if we become the Government, we are going to deliver that, but have to see the bar going up - we have to have better environmental compliance.

"We have to have stronger more stringent conditions in the future."

Mr Newman says the project's environmental concerns should have been considered beforehand.

"The bottom line is that we will only allow industries like CSG [coal seam gas] or underground coal gasification to go forward in this state with the strictest of environmental conditions and we've already said that to the resources industry," he said.