Groom to allow mining in national parks

Issue 

Groom to allow mining in national parks

By Natasha Simons

HOBART — The Tasmanian Liberal government has announced plans to allow mining in the state's national parks. Addressing a mining seminar in Hobart on September 16, Premier Ray Groom and the minister for mines, Tony Rundle, announced new legislation aimed at encouraging mining companies to invest in the state's resources.

The legislation will allow mining and exploration in national parks, assures compensation for money spent on exploration if future governments stop mining projects and ensures protection from environmental groups trying to stop developments.

Tony Rundle said the plan was to encourage exploration and mining activity to return to levels of $30 million a year on exploration, compared to the current less than $10 million. He said he also wanted to see a trebling to around 150,000 square kilometres of land under option for mineral exploration.

The key proposals include:

  • Changes to the Parks and Wildlife Act to limit national parks to a depth of 50 metres below the surface, clearing the way for exploration and mining of deeper ore deposits.

  • Mineral exploration in all national parks declared since 1959.

  • Compensation for mining companies if parliament changes the land use designation for a prospective zone.

  • No more national parks without approval of both houses of parliament.

  • Legislatively enshrined high prospectivity zones where the main land use will be mining. This designation can be changed only by both houses of parliament.

  • Streamlined approval processes and specific time limits for appeals against projects.

  • Revocation of 65,000 hectares of the South-West Conservation Area north of Macquarie Harbour to allow mineral exploration.

The federal government responded by warning it would intervene if mining was attempted in World Heritage Areas or threatened national park values outside WHAs. However, the federal Labor government has proven very slow to act in the area of environmental protection.

The proposals were described by the president of the Tasmanian Chamber of Mines as the "most visionary and innovative land management package tralian government".

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