The Stuart shale oil project: will it be Beattie's Ningaloo or his Waterloo?

Developing shale oil means more climate change and more coral bleaching on the Reef. This is why developing shale oil can only ever be a lose-lose situation.

A government that wants to stay in power would be foolish to approve the expansion of shale oil when it has been so clearly warned of the damage to the Reef if greenhouse emissions are allowed to continue to increase!

By preventing the expansion of shale oil, the Queensland government would be taking positive action to protect the future of the Great Barrier Reef and the tourism industry that depends on it. Shale oil could be Premier Beattie's Ningaloo.

But if the Queensland government approves expansion, the greenhouse reductions from the land-clearing deal will be cancelled out by the massive increase in Australia's greenhouse pollution if a shale oil industry is developed.

After working so hard to convince Queensland's farmers to accept the land-clearing ban, the expansion of shale oil would truly be Mr Beattie's environmental Waterloo. The Premier's efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef would all have been in vain.

The Queensland government has to continue to improve its green credentials and stopping the expansion of shale oil would do that. In the lead up to the next state election shale oil is the next big green test for Peter Beattie.

So which will it be, Mr Beattie? Ningaloo or Waterloo?