Mining stirs protests in WA

Mining stirs protests in WA

By Jonathon Strauss

PERTH—Dee Margetts, expected to be elected as a Greens (WA) senator, told Green Left Weekly that the way has been opened for exploration and mining on all of WA's national parks by the state Coalition government.

The requirement for special permission for mining activities was virtually the only management practice in national parks in the north of the state.

"The situation is almost out of control of the government", Margetts said. She explained that the Mines Act makes it virtually impossible to refuse a mining lease once a discovery has been made. Ministerial and parliamentary control counted for little, especially with a Coalition majority in both houses, while the Court government was also tending to restrict the role of the Environment Protection Authority.

A particular concern here is the March 17 announcement by mines minister George Cash that restrictions on mining exploration over 72,500 square kilometres in and around the Rudall River National Park in the Great and Little Sandy Deserts would be lifted.

Cash also announced he would be seeking export rights for the Kintyre uranium deposit, located inside the park, from the federal government.

According to the March 18 West Australian, Teddy Biljiba, chairperson of the Western Desert Puntukurnuparna (land council), said local Aborigines, who had been negotiating about exploration and mining with the previous government, had not been warned about the decision. About 300 live in the park, and many more have strong links with the region.

"The minister did not mention the people living here. He seemed interested only in minerals and money. Does the government not realise there are human beings out there?" Biljiba said.

Cash is already looking beyond exploration: "There have already been a number of very large and exciting mineral discoveries. These discoveries will form the basis for a new generation of developments in this remote area."

From GLW issue 94