A flat assessment fee of almost $7000 could be applicable to individual gold miners and small prospectors if proposed mining amendment regulations, planned for the new financial year, are introduced by the Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP).
Greens spokesperson Robin Chapple MLC said he would move to disallow the regulations, which also include a new lodgement of 'Programme of Work' (POW) fee of almost $600, if they are introduced to Parliament.
"I'm not sure this government quite realise the crippling effect these new regulations will have on the mining industry in Western Australia, given they are only being introduced to raise a measly $1.35 million" he said.
"I will personally make it my mission to make sure these outrageous new fees are not applied to small miners and individual prospectors scraping to make a living across the Goldfields region.
"The top end of town, your big gold miners such as KCGM and others, will not even blink at a fee such as this but to an individual prospector this kind of money could very easily spell the end of an operation.
"Why not increase basic tenement costs, or decrease the Exploration and Drilling incentive subsidy? Introducing flat fees such as these are an irresponsible and unfair solution to a problem of the government's own making.
"Small prospectors are the backbone of the mining industry often relied upon by larger miners to find the mines of tomorrow; history shows that 89% of larger operations have been found by small prospectors.
“Take them out of the picture and the entire industry right up to the top end of town is going to suffer, not to mention all the businesses that currently rely on the full time miner and prospector spending money in the local area."
For comment please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255.
WA Greens spokesperson for Aboriginal Affairs Robin Chapple MLC has expressed dismay at revelations site ‘LSC11, the ‘Lurujarri Song Cycle’ path, is not considered to be of heritage value by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs (DAA).
Walmadany, or James Price Point, is an Aboriginal site of immense mythological value to all Aboriginal communities from Broome (Minyirr) through to Coulomb Point (Minarriny) for its place in the song cycle path.
Mr Chapple said it was curious that the State Solicitor’s Office (SSO) advice on section 5(b) of the Aboriginal Heritage Act (AHA) was sought within the timeframe of the Aboriginal Cultural Materials Committee’s (ACMC) assessment of the ‘song cycle path’.
“Advice from the SSO allowing a new interpretation of section 5(b) of the act was endorsed by the ACMC at a time when the government was simultaneously pushing ahead with its Browse industrial hub proposal for James Price Point,” he said.
“This same SSO advice allowed for the song cycle path to be removed from any heritage lists entirely and it’s record is now kept by DAA in the heritage category of ‘Stored Data/Not a Site’.
“We are talking about a significant piece of heritage for the Aboriginal communities of the Dampier Peninsula, an oral heritage map or living memory of the landscape and its traditions passed down through generations.
“Whilst I’m not suggesting there was any malicious intent behind these actions, I do find it curious that a place of such significance was stripped of any legal heritage value at the same time as this controversial project was being promoted by the government.
“Aboriginal site LSC11 was lodged by DAA officers on 27 July 2011 as an Aboriginal Heritage site with section 5(a) – (d) of the AHA being shown as applicable.
“I would like to see a promise from this government that, in light of the recent Supreme Court decision and sheer weight of protest against development at this sacred site, any Aboriginal sites associated with James Price Point, especially LSC11, will be reassessed for their heritage value with renewed vitality.”
For comment please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255.
Greens MLC for the Mining and Pastoral region Robin Chapple has expressed serious concerns about the state government’s slow response to allegations of asbestos contamination on crown land in the Kalgoorlie suburb of Williamstown.
A review carried out by Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) last week found five blocks along Austral Rd, Williamstown – all of which are unfenced and unsigned - contained reportable levels of asbestos.
KCGM have agreed to fence and signpost the block at 38 Austral Rd, which falls under their responsibility, as soon as possible however the other four blocks will be subjected to a government assessment which could take as long as three months before any remedial action is taken.
Mr Chapple said when it comes to dangerous substances, such as asbestos, being in such close proximity to people’s homes the government should take action first and then investigate.
“The blocks along Austral Rd should all be immediately fenced off from the public and warnings put in place to let people know there is asbestos present,” he said.
“This will provide Williamstown residents with some peace of mind whilst the proper government processes are carried out, but as it is these are wide open and publicly accessible spaces.
“Asbestos is known to be highly toxic to humans; it is absolutely reckless for this government not to immediately take action where people’s health is concerned.”
Mr Chapple said this latest threat to the residents of Williamstown was just another in a long line of problems over many years due to the mining operations of KCGM.
“This again just highlights the insensitivity of KCGM towards the residents of Williamstown,” he said.
“They very clearly have an ulterior motive with regards to Williamstown and this is having an adverse effect on the suburb’s residents.”
For comment please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255.
Environment Minister Albert Jacob’s overnight approval of the Kintyre Uranium mine proposal was wrong on every level and should be immediately rescinded, according to WA Greens Uranium Spokesperson Robin Chapple MLC.
Mr Chapple said it was an inappropriate given the Office of Regional Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) was still investigating allegations of corruption into the Western Desert Lands Aboriginal Corporation’s (WDLAC).
“The Minister should not have made any decision until the position of the Martu people, with regards to a Uranium mine on their lands, had been absolutely clarified,” he said.
“Instead what Mr Jacob has done is slip this through quietly overnight with complete disregard for the investigation, or the mountain of appeals he has received in opposition.”
Mr Chapple said aside from potential legal ramifications the Kintyre proposal was a major environmental threat to the region’s unique desert environment and lacked the bipartisan political or broader public support necessary to validate its approval.
“This is yet another example of our government’s throwing its weight behind a rapidly ageing industry that will lock WA into an unsustainable future,” he said.
“This proposal will directly threaten the Karlamilyi National Park, the Karlamilyi River water catchment and the many threatened native flora and fauna species that inhabit this unique desert environment.
“To top it off the minister has recommended there should be no rehabilitation bonds, a move that could see liability for the clean-up of this mine fall on the taxpayer and not the company behind the proposal.
“Cameco have an appalling environmental record and are soon to face court in the USA and Canada over allegations of tax avoidance, yet we want to trust them to mine this dangerous mineral in such a fragile part of our state.”
Mr Chapple said issues raised by environmental and Indigenous groups had fallen on deaf ears.
“Appeals submitted on the basis of threats to groundwater, radiological uptake by native flora, the lack of baseline studies and commitments to monitoring in key areas have been dismissed,” he said.
“If this proposal ever wants to see the light of day it needs to be taken right back to step one and properly assessed.”
For comment please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255.
Greens MLC for the Mining and Pastoral region Robin Chapple yesterday slammed the government’s 2015 Barrow Island management plan as largely not addressing the extent of the issues present nor accounting for the growth in size of the Gorgon project.
The environmental management plan lays out the government’s expectations relating to the island’s natural environment, cultural heritage and resources for the next 10 years.
Mr Chapple said the management plan offered nothing useful in the way of restoring what had already been damaged on Barrow Island but instead offered a method of simply managing the status quo.
“There is absolutely nothing new in this plan that wasn’t already a part of Gorgon’s original contract for the island,” he said.
“There has been a large expansion of the project – it is now 2 or 3 times the size it was intended to be – and this management plan fails to address any of the subsequent issues caused by this expansion.
“When Colin Barnett was opposition leader he said Gorgon should never have been allowed on Barrow Island and vowed to force them off should he become Premier.
“As is so often the case with our Premier he has neglected to follow through with this commitment, perhaps hoping the rest of us would just forget about the issue?”
Mr Chapple said Barrow Island was a poorly managed environmental disaster.
“Invasive species at critical levels, injured and threatened native species, loss of natural habitats due to concrete infrastructure, poorly managed quarantine – the list goes on,” he said.
“As the Gorgon project continues to expand so too will the threats to this pristine environment, in particularly the 24 species of endemic native flora and fauna.
“I believe the situation has reached a point where, once Gorgon has vacated the premises, it will take billions of dollars’ worth of reinvestment to return Barrow Island to the sensitive state it was in prior to the arrival of Chevron.”
For comment please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255.
Greens Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region Robin Chapple MLC has slammed Buru Energy’s Yulleroo operations after disturbing images have surfaced showing the decaying remains of a wild dingo trapped in a water pond.
Mr Chapple said this was just one of many animals found dead or rescued from Buru’s tailings dams since operations began in the area several years ago.
“It’s not just dingoes but also reptiles, birds and various small marsupials that have been found trapped in these ponds,” he said.
“These tailings dams contain a toxic mixture of chemicals from the fracking process and also often include heavy metal traces and hydrocarbons drawn up from deep underground as a part of fluid recovery.
“They are clearly not addressing the reality that native animals will see these ponds and assume they are a safe water source.”
Mr Chapple said Buru’s fracking operations in the Kimberley should be immediately halted until such time as they have received proper and thorough environmental assessment.
“Buru energy have proven time and again that they are not fit to manage, nor have they properly assessed, the potential environmental impacts of this invasive mining process,” he said.
“Until such time as they can guarantee that precious groundwater reserves won’t be contaminated, local ecosystems won’t be affected and native fauna won’t continue to die horrible deaths in their toxic ponds then they should not be allowed to continue operations.”
For more information please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255.
