Rey Resources faces objections to mining lease in Mining Warden’s Court
In an unusual move, the Mining Warden’s Court has agreed to hear objections to the grant of a mining lease for the controversial Duchess Paradise proposed thermal coal project near Derby. This matter is listed in the Mining Warden’s Court in Perth on Tuesday 31 January. The Wilderness Society has today issued an alert to investors to notify them of the significant emerging risks to this project operated by Rey Resources Ltd.
Nykina Traditional Owner Dr Poelina says - “It is highly unusual for the WA Mining Warden’s Court to hear these kinds of objections. The failure of Rey Resources to readily secure a mining lease is a serious blow to the viability of the project.
“I am objecting to the grant of the mining lease on the basis that there is insufficient information to
determine the environmental risks of a thermal coal mine at that site. I am also deeply concerned that the mine will have significant negative effects on the water, environment, people and emerging sustainable industries of the Fitzroy River region.”
The Wilderness Society has today alerted investors to the lack of a secure mining lease plus other
significant risks that create significant hurdles for the project .
Heidi Nore of the Wilderness Society says “Rey’s investors should expect some serious difficulty in
succeeding with this project. They have no mining lease in place, they are subject to a lengthy
environmental approvals process and they are facing strong community opposition to new coal mines.
“This proposed coal project is in the Fitzroy River catchment area and appears very likely to pollute the groundwater at the nearby National Heritage listed site.Consequently, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has determined that the proposal must be subjected to a Public Environmental Review, which is one of the lengthiest types of assessment.
The Commonwealth Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water and Communities (SEWPaC) has determined that this proposal is a controlled action, meaning that it must also meet federal environment minister approval.
“The EPA made some significant decisions last year rejecting coal proposals at both Eneabba and Margaret River due to the detrimental effect on ground water. We are calling on the EPA to assess this Fitzroy River project with the same rigour.”
The matter is listed at the Perth Mining Warden’s Court at Central Law courts, 501 Hay Street, Perth as the matter of Blackfin Pty Ltd v Poelina
A copy of the Investor Alert can be downloaded here.
For further comment contact:
Anne Poelina – Nykina Traditional Owner: 040 89 22 155
Heidi Nore – The Wilderness Society WA: 040 44 78 779
Yesterday’s announcement by Woodside that it would not be able to meet a 2012 deadline for a final investment decision on the LNG hub James Price Point was another indication that the private sector is having serious reservations about the financial viability of the project.
Yet the WA government remains committed to spend $120 million of taxpayers’ money on building an all weather access highway to the proposed site - even though Woodside itself is not prepared to put its own money on the line. Construction of the highway is scheduled to commence early 2012.
Wilderness Society WA Kimberley Campaigner Heidi Nore said, “WA Resources Minister Norman Moore confirmed in Parliament last month that West Australian tax payers will fund a $120 million access highway to James Price Point regardless of whether or not Woodside or anyone else reaches a final investment decision.
“The Minister stated:
‘the State’s decision to commence works is not reliant upon any individual company making a final investment decision.’
“Given Woodside’s latest announcement and the clear doubts over this project it would be reckless and irresponsible of the WA government to potentially waste so much public money on this highway to nowhere.
“Why should the public subsidise Woodside’s LNG project – especially when Woodside itself is not prepared to put its own money on the line?
“In 2 or 3 years time we could have a top quality super-highway out to a beautiful spot – but no resource companies wanting to use the road or build at James Price Point.
“While James Price Point and the adjacent Lurujarri Song Line are well worth a visit, $120 million dollars of tax payers’ money could certainly be better spent elsewhere”.
Further comment:
Heidi Nore - 040 447 8779
Peter Robertson - 0409 089 020
Media Adviser: Alex Tibbitts - 0416 420 168
The campaign kicks off with an advertisement in today’s NT News, and will be followed up with advertisements, billboards, letter boxing and other publicity targeting all political parties in the lead up to the August 25 2012 NT election.
The first advertisement, ‘C’mon Hendo, Keep Labor’s Promises’ calls on Chief Minister Paul Henderson to honour Labor’s election and policy commitments to:
“Since their election in 2001, NT Labor has promised to introduce land clearing laws, river protection laws and create marine parks. With just nine months until the next Territory election, the Henderson government scores zero out of three on protecting the environment,” said The Wilderness Society’s Northern Australia Campaigner Gavan McFadzean.
“It’s time they delivered on their promises.”
“Labor has been promising for over a decade to safeguard Territory waters in a world-class network of marine parks” said Jess Abrahams, Northern Marine Campaigner with the Australian Marine Conservation Society. “With destructive seabed mining now threatening critical feeding and breeding grounds around the coast, now more than ever we need marine sanctuaries to safeguard our tropical sealife, including our turtles, dolphins and dugongs.”
Director of the Environment Centre NT Stuart Blanch said, “It’s not good enough to promise to protect the environment during an election campaign and then not deliver once you’re elected. How can we trust Labor’s policy commitments in the lead up to next year’s election if they haven’t delivered on their promises so far?”
“The advertising campaign is designed to raise the profile amongst the community of these three key environmental issues, urge NT Labor to deliver on their existing election and policy commitments and the CLP to lift their environmental policy credentials between now and next year’s poll.”
Further comment: Gavan McFadzean m: 0414 754 023 Stuart Blanch m: 0448 887 303
]]>Two new reports released today, Wild Blue Yonder: Fifteen underwater places for protection in Australia's north west and Twelve Tropical Sea Treasures: Underwater icons of Northern Australia reveal critical sites for rare and threatened sealife off Australia's north and northwest coast.
The reports draw attention to the urgent need for marine sanctuaries to protect these vulnerable, iconic and unique environments.
"Environment Minister Tony Burke has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect tropical sealife across northern Australia. The government’s recently proposed reserves must protect every one of these iconic areas from the threats of oil and gas drilling and overfishing", said Paul Gamblin from WWF-Australia.
"Unless large sanctuaries are established in these iconic places, Australia will not be able to claim that it is adequately protecting its tropical marine environment.”
"Spanning over one and a half million square kilometres, currently less than one per cent of these regions is protected from threats such as oil and gas drilling, seabed mining and overfishing", said Gavan McFadzean from the Wilderness Society.
The reports uncover an underwater treasure trove rich in threatened sealife, including ancient coral reefs, enormous whale sharks, dugong feeding grounds, habitat for the rare and recently described snubfin dolphin and humpback whale havens.
"This vast and diverse region, from Shark Bay through to the Gulf of Carpentaria, is a haven to tropical sealife, threatened with extinction in other parts of the world ", said Jess Abrahams from the Australian Marine Conservation Society.
"This report clearly shows that marine sanctuaries are critical for protecting vulnerable marine life and their underwater habitat."
"The ocean off North Western Australia is our last great whale haven. But this plan sets the scene for unconstrained development of the oil and gas industry to the detriment of whales, dolphins and other marine animals. The Australian Government must do more to balance the needs of industry and conservation if it’s to maintain its global reputation as a whale protector,” said Isabel McCrea from IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare).
The reports have been produced by Save Our Tropical Sealife, an alliance of local, national and international conservation groups, as part of the campaign to seek protection for iconic and vulnerable marine habitats across northern Australia. The reports can be viewed online at www.SaveOurTropicalSealife.org.au
For more information and high-resolution photos and stock footage please call Adrian Dodd on 0401 726 476 or Jonathon Larkin on 0410 221 410.
The iconic and unprotected sites identified in the northwest include:
In the north, critical sites include: