The Queensland government should scrap its tender process for a major bauxite mine instead of spruiking the lease like a shonky used-car dealer, The Wilderness Society says.
The government announced on Monday it would open a new tender to develop the mine and alumina refinery in western Cape York, near Aurukun.
The tender for the new bauxite mine and alumina refinery had been won by Chinese company Chalco in 2007, but the deal folded last Thursday because Chalco was unable to build the required alumina refinery.
It's the second time the lease has folded.
The original bauxite lease was issued to French mining company Pechiney in 1975 by the Bjelke-Petersen government but for the next 28 years it remained dormant.
Treasurer Andrew Fraser said a new tender process will commence by the end of this year.
Lyndon Schneiders, from The Wilderness Society, said the government should terminate the mining lease once and for all.
"The worst thing about this is that the Queensland government is auctioning away one of Australia's most intact and beautiful areas, country belonging to the Wik people, for destruction and offshore profits," Mr Schneiders said in a statement.
"The Queensland government continues to spruik it like a shonky used-car dealer."
He said bauxite mining involves bulldozing vast areas of native forest, burning it, and then digging out up to 10 metres of the ground layer for processing.
"The damage is so great that restoration of the site after mining is always a complete failure," Mr Schneiders said.
The Wilderness Society said the government instead should push for World Heritage listing and develop local jobs through tourism, ranger programs and natural resource management
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