Indigenous North Stradbroke Islanders want an inquiry into the racism and discrimination they say they've been subjected to over a mining deal.
Proposed laws would extend Sibelco's sand mining lease for its Enterprise mine from 2019 to 2035, 10 years after mining was legislated to end on the island.
Sibelco spent tens of thousands of dollars on advertising in the last state election to champion the cause and talk down Labor.
Quandamooka land council chairman Darren Burns fears the campaign has bought influence.
There are concerns the laws could breach the native title rights, as the areas currently under mining lease were set to revert to native title in 2020.
"I am very concerned the government trampled over native title rights in order to make good favours to the mining company," Mr Burns wrote in a submission to parliament.
"I request there be an inquiry into the apparent institutional racism and discriminatory imbalance of treatment of the Quandamooka people's versus Sibelco interests which the bold and heartless inception of this bill blatantly illuminates.
"I make no apologies for this strong language as this bill, if passed, will guarantee the early demise of Quandamooka people through the sheer heartache, insult, contempt they thought they had lived through the worst of."
In 2011, the former Labor government banned mining past 2025 to create more national parks, which would be partly managed by the Quandamooka people.
Sibelco CEO Campbell Jones told the hearing their election advertising campaign was solely to highlight the repercussions for the local economy.
"Yes, I have met with the premier, on maybe one or two occasions, and no, we didn't get everything we wanted," he said.
Sand mining has underpinned the island's economy for 60 years.
Mr Jones says the current ban comes too soon to allow for a smooth transition to a new economy.
With the certainty the new timetable brings, Mr Jones says Sibelco will be able to make millions of dollars' worth of investment.
"It will provide greater security for the 600 people employed directly or indirectly employed by sand mining, thus ensuring the stability of the island economy," he said.
Share
