By Michael Burt
Opposition is mounting to the mining of antimony and other critical minerals on the Dorrigo Plateau and across the Clarence Valley catchment.
More than 200 people attended the Bellingen Environment Centre’s (BEC) community meeting in Dorrigo in late May, which has inspired more information events for local landholders and close ties with Lock the Nambucca Valley group.
The Clarence Catchment Alliance (CCA) and Clarence Valley Council (CVC) have also united in calls for immediate and stronger protections for the environment and water quality.
Bellingen Environment Centre (BEC) President Cath Eaglesham organised the meeting in Dorrigo in conjunction with the Blicks River Guardians to inform the community about antimony exploration activities on the plateau by TRIGG Minerals and others.
“There is immense concern across the region after water testing in March twice detected poisonous antimony in the Shannon Creek Dam drinking water supply in exceedance of Australian Drinking Water Guidelines,” Cath said.
“Nearly 100 000 people between Sawtell and Yamba rely on this drinking water supply”
“The entire community present at the information session strongly supports protecting water from being poisoned and unanimously seeks an immediate ban on any further exploration activities or mining across the Nymboida and Blicks River catchments to ensure safety for drinking water supply.”
“The community will now be working in an urgent and united front to ensure the safety of all and to secure a permanent ban on all exploration activities and mining across the Dorrigo Plateau.”
The BEC ‘s next advocacy steps include hosting an Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) workshop for landholders on 29 July in Dorrigo.
“The BEC and the Blicks Rivers Guardians are going to keep the momentum going on this issue.”
The CCA says the TRIGG Minerals activity at Wild Cattle Creek is one of 44 active exploration licenses (ELs) across the Clarence Catchment. Mining Companies are searching for rare earth minerals – copper, cobalt, bauxite, silver, gold, lead, zinc and antinomy to name a few
“They are beside the rivers on unstable surrounding plateaus, including Dorrigo the major source of drinking water for the Clarence and Coffs Harbour areas,” said CCA Coordinator Shae Fleming.
The CCA meet with the Clarence Valley Council last week with both groups voicing deep concern that current NSW regulations fail to protect critical water sources.
The CCA is now calling for Clarence Valley Council to formally coordinate with neighbouring councils including Coffs Harbour, Bellingen, Byron, Kyogle, Glen Innes Severn and others to lead a region-wide lobbying position.
Ms Fleming said their meeting with Council comes as the NSW Government implements its new Targeted Assessment Program (TAP) to assess how mines manage surface and groundwater.
“However, for the Clarence Catchment and its major drinking water sources, the TAP falls dangerously short.”
“The NSW Government accepts contamination as inevitable. The TAP focuses on limiting contamination preventing it. That is not protection. That is permission to pollute.”
“The language of ‘limit release’ accepts that contaminated water will enter our environment. That is not sustainable management, particularly for drinking water catchments. There is no acceptable level of toxic heavy metals, processing chemicals or flood-borne mine waste entering these interconnected river systems.”
“These phrases provide no enforceable protections. They allow mining operations to proceed while accepting that contamination will occur, if it is deemed manageable on paper.”
“The legislative tools exist, but the political will must follow. The Clarence Catchment Alliance has provided a detailed framework for action, starting immediately. Delaying protection risks irreversible damage.”
The Bellingen Shire News did contact TRIGG Minerals for a comment but received no response.