UNESCO & IUCN invited to see what mining would place at risk on the Dorrigo Plateau

19 March 2012

Dorrigo Environment Watch Inc.

Our mission is "To raise community awareness of risks to human and environmental health"

Press Release

Invitation to UNESCO & IUCN to visit the Dorrigo Plateau

By copy of this Press Release Dorrigo Environment Watch have invited the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) monitoring team (who are currently visiting Australia to monitor impacts of mining on the Barrier Reef) to also schedule in a visit to the Dorrigo Plateau.

The Dorrigo Plateau has 4 different mining companies with current exploration licences and recent drilling has been undertaken for gold and antimony across the Plateau. There is concern that the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area values could be compromised if any mining developments were approved on the Plateau.

Dorrigo Environment Watch will ask the NSW and Australian Governments to zone the plateau a ‘no go zone’ for mining to ensure that the world heritage values and vital ecosystem services (which underpin our food, fisheries, fibre and drinking water) are protected for present and future generations. Australia has an obligation to abide by our world heritage agreements to protect the Gondwana Rainforests. A ‘no go zone’ would serve as an appropriate Government commitment and celebration for the 25 year anniversary of the World Heritage listing of our Gondwana rainforests.

For more information or comment please contact Trevor Deane on 02 6657 4005.

Community concern over Anchor Resources mining plans in Clarence Catchment high country not going away

The Coffs Coast Advocate 21 February 2012:

CONCERN is growing in the tiny town of Tyringham on the Dorrigo plateau as 96% Chinese-owned Anchor Resources continues its exploratory drilling programs.

Tyringham resident Kathy Realph said with the plateau identified as a 'refuge' for wildlife already under threat from climate change, mining on the plateau would be devastating.

"We simply do not understand how Anchor can have a licence for a prospective site adjacent to the Mt Hyland Nature Reserve," Mrs Realph said.

She said the plateau was also located in the overlap zone of the New England Tablelands and the NSW North Coast bioregion, making it an area of higher biodiversity value than if either region were considered individually.

"This area is recognised internationally as a biodiversity hotspot".

Those campaigning against mining on the plateau have the support of Coffs Harbour City councillor Mark Graham, who has warned of the possible contamination of waterways.

"There are more than 100,000 people who receive water from this catchment under the Coffs Clarence Regional Water Supply," Mr Graham said.

"Toxins known from the orebodies on the Dorrigo Plateau that Anchor is seeking to mine include arsenic, antimony, mercury and lead, all are a threat to human health. Mining of these orebodies will endanger our watersupply and the health of the Clarence River."

Another resident, Ian Realph, highlighted the additional problem of huge economic losses to fisheries and tourism, should waterways become contaminated.

"Of course when Anchor talks to the community they will tell us that safeguards will be put in place and world's best practice will be employed but those same assurances were given by Exon Valdez and also Deep Water Horizon," Mr Realph said.

"We already have contamination issues in the Upper Macleay, Urunga Lagoon and the Mole River near Tenterfield."

In January Anchor Resources was fined $2500 for not rehabilitating land as required by law.

Protect our NSW North Coast Water Supply from Mining

Nymboida River area of the Clarence River Catchment

Coffs Harbour councillor, Mark Graham, can understand why a group of  local citizens would choose to demonstrate their concern by rallying at the Karangi Dam this Saturday at 11.00 am.
“ I have already warned that the Coffs Harbour Council’s investment in a safe water supply is at risk.
“The proposed antimony mine at Wild Cattle Creek has the potential to poison the waters of the Nymboida and Clarence Rivers. The Macleay River has already been poisoned with arsenic and antimony for millennia, a result of mining.
“It is extremely unlikely that this proposed Chinese owned mine can operate safely and remain safe after its Chinese owners have moved on. An open cut mine 1.5km long and 0.5km wide open to the sky in that extremely high rainfall area will generate an enormous amount of polluted water.
It could end up in the Karangi Dam and then in the taps of our homes, schools and nurseries. [Coffs Harbour City Cr. Mark Graham,media release,10 November 2011]

Greens candidate for the Clarence by-election, Janet Cavanaugh, today gave her support to the rally at Karangi Dam on Saturday morning which is demonstrating against the proposed antimony mine at Wild Cattle Creek in the headwaters of the Coffs-Clarence regional water supply.

“This rally should be a reminder to the O’Farrell Government that this proposed mine is not just an issue for the Clarence electorate but also for Coffs Harbour,” Ms Cavanaugh said.

“The residents of Coffs Harbour should be demanding Andrew Fraser MP to represent their interests and secure a guarantee from the Government that no large open cut mine will be permitted in the catchment of our shared water supply.

“Voters in the Clarence Valley should be also be sending a message to Sydney by casting their vote for the candidates who are raising this issue on their behalf.

“Vague statements from the Premier that a newly formed Environmental Protection Agency will somehow guarantee the safety of our water supply are too weak. For a start, he is not recognising that compliance with pollution licensing is likely to be constrained by a lack of staff and the remoteness of the site.

“Most significantly, he is not recognising that an open cut mine in that area with extremely high rainfall will generate an enormous amount of polluted water in the Nymboida River, which could end up in the Shannon Creek Dam and also in Karangi Dam, and then our taps,” she said.

The protest picnic at Karangi Dam will be held this Saturday morning (12 November) at 11am.  [Greens Clarence by-election candidate Janet Cavanaugh,10 November 2011]

O'Farrell Government shows open contempt towards NSW North Coast communities

Living in regional New South Wales often leads one to suspect that any state government of the day and its minsters rarely display an understanding of (or empathy with)  the aspirations, problems or concerns of distant local communities.

This was clearly demonstrated when a question raising concerns on behalf of residents and ratepayers living on the NSW North Coast in the Dorrigo, Belligen, Coffs Harbour and Clarence Valley districts was put to the Coalition Government in the NSW Legislative Council last month.

Highlighted below the contemptuous, party-politics-before-people response which was given by the O’Farrell Government:

The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: My question is directed to the Minister for Finance and Services, representing the Minister for the Environment. I thank the Minister for his detailed answer previously revealing that the Macleay River has been contaminated by the Hillgrove antimony mine for millennia—which is thousands of years, in case he does not remember. Ancoa has a proposal to reopen the Hillgrove antimony mine responsible for much of this contamination. Anchor Resources plans a new antimony mine at Wild Cattle Creek at the top of the Nymboida River. Given the toxicity of antimony and history of contamination, what is the Government doing to ensure that these mines will not further contaminate the Macleay River and contaminate the Nymboida River?

The Hon. GREG PEARCE: Last week I commented upon the member's North Korean controller and the need to translate his questions from Korean to code, then from code to Korean, and then from Korean to English. I said that his questions are garbled. If anyone could make sense of that question, I invite them to answer it for me. I could not follow it at all—I really could not. I invite the member to put the question on notice to get a detailed answer.

[NSW Parliament, Hansard,14 September 2011]

Will the O'Farrell Government protect local government investment in NSW North Coast sustainable urban water infrastructure?

There are ninety kilometres (90 km) of underground pipelines linking the Nymboida River with the Shannon Creek Dam in the Clarence Valley, the Rushforth Road Reservoir at South Grafton and the Karangi Dam near Coffs Harbour.  The combined value of this infrastructure to Clarence Valley and Coffs Harbour local government has been estimated at $200 million.

On 18 July 2011 The Coffs Coast Advocate reported Coffs Harbour City Cr. Mark Graham as stating:

…he had inspected a site on Wild Cattle Creek where Anchor Resources was exploring for antimony and there were already large plumes of antimony which could leach into Wild Cattle Creek and into the Nymboida River.

“There is a massive plume washing from the exploration site into the headwaters of our drinking water catchment,… There is a great need to protect the catchment of the regional water supply and our collective investment of about $200 million"

If these plumes are as reported, then the China Shandong Jinshunda Group Co Ltd through its Australian mining exploration arm, Anchor Resources Ltd, is placing local government investment, an urban water supply (which supports an estimated 3 million residents and visitors/tourists each quarter across Clarence Valley-Coffs Harbour regions) and, a high-value natural environment, at risk even before antimony mining and processing has begun.

According to a report commissioned by Clarence Valley Council in 2008; On average, domestic overnight visitors spent $118 per night, International overnight visitors spent $76 per night and domestic day trippers spent $80 per trip.

Will NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell and Minister for Resources and Energy Chris Hartcher ignore potential risks to the interests of Northern Rivers and Mid-North Coast communities in order to facilitate the interests of this international mining corporation?

What the Clarence Valley is fighting for (14)

Commercial fishing boat moored near Maclean on the Clarence River

Riverbend near Grafton

Photographs from Suburbanbloke at Flickr