Newman urged to end island sand mining

Conservation groups are calling on Liberal National Party leader Campbell Newman to follow his father's lead and help put an end to sand mining on North Stradbroke Island.

Environmentalists, who launched an advertising campaign on Monday to mark 35 years since sand mining ended on Fraser Island, have accused Mr Newman of being a clone of former Queensland Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

It was Mr Newman's father, Kevin, who, as federal environment minister in 1976, confronted Sir Joh and told him of the Fraser government's decision to end sand mining on Fraser Island.

Sir Joh launched an attack on Newman Senior claiming the decision was "a political decision to appease Sydney and Melbourne conservationists".

Nikki Parker, who represents Friends of Stradbroke Island and the Stradbroke Island Management Organisation, said Mr Newman was now recycling the rhetoric used by Sir Joh by suggesting any move to end sand mining on North Stradbroke Island "is about the politics of Greens preferences".

"Campbell Newman needs to ... follow his father's decisive example by ending sand mining quickly," Ms Parker said.

"Newman's current rhetoric indicates he is just a clone of Sir Joh."

Ms Parker, in a statement released on Monday, acknowledged that the Liberal National Party (LNP) opposition supported the state government's decision to allow Belgian-owned Sibelco to extend its sand mining contract to 2025.

"We call on Campbell Newman to follow the inspirational decision of his father and save Straddie," she said.

"It's a national embarrassment that sand mining continues at three mines on a precious jewel such as Straddie.

"Continued sand mining on Straddie will damage and threaten high nature conservation areas, the habitats of vulnerable animal and plant species as well as internationally recognised wetlands."

Opposition environment spokesman Andrew Powell said the LNP has not set a timeframe to end sand mining on Stradbroke Island at this stage.

"An LNP government will consult and work with people on the island, local stakeholders including the Indigenous community and other interested parties to develop a workable and responsible exit strategy," he said in a statement.

"We need a plan for North Stradbroke Island that creates jobs and builds businesses, rather than destroying them.

"Sadly this long term, 20-year-old Labor government has sold North Stradbroke Island out for green preferences."

Environment Minister Vicky Darling said the LNP would turn back the clock and allow sand mining to continue indefinitely.

"The worst kept secret is that the LNP will trash the environmental protection we've put in place on the island," she said in a statement.

"They would let the mining company have their way and mine wherever they want for however long they want."