The New South Wales Department of Planning has recommended approval of the controversial Mount Thorley Warkworth mine extension.
It’s the second time the department has approved plans for the mine after they were thwarted by a legal challenge.
The Department of Planning and Environment has put several conditions on the mine that will be looked at by the Planning Assessment Commission which will make a final determination. They are:
* strictly limit noise and dust emissions from the site and implement stringent noise and air quality monitoring programs
* complete a $30 million program to reduce the noise of mining equipment on the site by the end of 2016
* set aside almost 3,000 hectares of land for conservation, including more than 1,000 hectares next to the Goulburn River National Park
* pay $11 million to Singleton Council over the life of the project for local services and infrastructure, focusing on Bulga village and surrounds
* reduce the size of the final void left by mining and progressively rehabilitate the site to native woodland
The department has also said it doesn’t believe the nearby village of Bulga should be relocated.
“Our assessment found dust and noise impacts on the village would not be significantly greater than what Bulga is already experiencing,” the spokesperson said.
“There are a small number of houses where the noise criteria may be exceeded, and so the Department has recommended that these landowners are able to seek further mitigation to their properties from the mine’s operators.”
Bulga residents have slammed the department’s decision.
“Giving the green light to the project is confirmation that the legal and regulatory system that governs mining is broken and that NSW residents cannot count on it to serve the public interest or protect our precious land, water and heritage,” said Bulga-Milbrodale Progress Association vice-president John Krey.
“The local community has fought the Warkworth mine project in court, and won twice, but despite this the NSW government changed the rules to push it through, quashed community rights to appeal in court, and worked behind closed doors with mining giant Rio Tinto to ensure it proceeds,” he said.
Miner Rio Tinto has welcomed the decision.
“We welcome this further confirmation that our proposals meet all of the relevant NSW Government policies and that Mount Thorley Warkworth should be allowed to continue mining, which is vital for its workforce of 1300 people, said Rio Tinto’smanaging director in Australia Chris Salisbury.
“Both the Department of Planning and Environment and the Planning Assessment Commission have considered all of the issues raised to date, and reached the conclusion that the benefits of allowing Mount Thorley Warkworth to continue operating outweigh the impacts,” he said.
The Minerals Council of Australia says the jobs of the mine’s 1300 workers are a step closer to be secured, after a long period of uncertainty.
