ILUKA ADMITS POTENTIAL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE |
| by Friends of Kokatha mob. |
2006-06-02 7:34 PM +0800 |
ILUKA ADMITS THAT ECONOMICS OUTWAY THE ENVIRONMENTAL RAMIFACTIONS OF MINING THE WORLD’S LARGEST INTACT STUNTED MALLEE WOODLAND IN THE WORLD
A number of Perth activists approached the headquarters of Iluka Resources Australian in Perth today to hand deliver a “Notice To Quit’ from a Kokatha Mula Elder named Aunty Sue Coleman-Haseldine who could not make the long journey to Perth to deliver the letter in person. |
Concerned about the recent statements made publicly by Iluka Resources announcing their interest to mine within the Yellabinna Regional Reserve, SA, the activists delivered their message to the street with banners, flags and fliers just outside the front doors before marching into the office of the company.
Once in the office, the protestors made a request to hand the Kokatha Mula Elder’s letter personally to the CEO or any other major managers that may be in the country at the time. This request was refused and security was called. After a short stand off between Iluka employees, the security guards and the protesters, a number of Iluka workers (Mr Geoffrey W Richards [Manager Government Relations], Doug Marshall [Project Manager-Eucla Basin] & Peter French [Environment Advisor]) ushered the protestors into a room for discussion.
The group asked the men if there were any untruths in any of the information they had been handing out in the street, (which had the same wording as yesterdays press release [see below]), and the response from the Iluka employees was that it was indeed true.
Discussions lasted approximately an hour, whereby the Iluka Resource Employees admitted that the area that they are considering to mine is indeed extremely rare and fragile. They continued on to say that the economic benefits outweighed the environmental ramifications of disturbing the largest stretch of pristine stunted mallee woodland in the world, thereby, inevitably leading to the area in the future being ‘disturbed’.
Discussions were raised over one of the potential ways to supply water via a desalination facility on the coast near Ceduna, to the possible mine site. Mr Richards stated that Iluka Resources was “leaning towards the access corridor along the shoreline”. What Mr Richards was saying was that Iluka preferred the option of the pipeline following the ancient shoreline of the Eucla basin which passes through another deposit discovered by Iluka Resources, instead of the other option of following the current roads leading to the deposit. If the preferred pipeline (as stated by Iluka Resources today) does go ahead, there would be a massive pipeline cutting straight through undisturbed areas of the Yumbarra Conservation Park and the Yellabinna Regional Reserve, thus diving these parks in half.
The activists then handed the letter that they came to Iluka Resources to deliver from Aunty Sue Coleman-Haseldine which was a formal ‘Notice to Quit’ mineral explorations and cease the discussion of future mining operations in all of the parks and reserves in the region, stating that “Our land is sacred and should not be mined”.
Leaving the building, one of the protesters said “today’s action went really well, Iluka Resources have offered future meetings with those concerned with that land and the details we were able to obtain from them today, we are now able to tell the rest of the world about” Shayne O’Neill, a Perth supporter of the Ceduna Indigenous Elders.
CONTACTS
NoAnna (Western Australia): 0412 068 558
Aunty Sue Coleman Haseldine (Ceduna): 0428 872 375
MEDIA RELEASE FROM THURSDAY MAY 2ND
PRESS RELEASE:ILUKA RESOURCES UNDER ATTACK
A number of Perth activists will be gathering outside the Iluka Resources Office (140 St Georges Tce, Perth) at 12pm on Friday 2nd of June to express their concerns for the recent finds of rich zircon deposits Iluka have publicly announced in recent months. Iluka Resources have been drilling in various areas surrounding Ceduna in South Australia.
Much of their exploration leases and two of their recent finds contain large concentrations of zircon, the 'Jacinth' and 'Ambrosia' deposits, are within the Yellabinna Regional Reserve. Just last year, the ancient country of Yellabina was recognised by the South Australian State Government by the proclamation of a small section now placed into Wilderness Protection Area.
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Yellabinna Regional Reserve, and neighbouring Yumbarra Conservation Park and Pureba Conservation Park hold significant status as the largest stretch of pristine stunted mallee woodland in the world. The reason for this is due to the fact that it has been uneconomical for mining companies and pastoralists to tap into the water supply and therefore left much of outback Ceduna alone.
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> However, Iluka Resources have been suggesting that the construction of a desalination plant in Fowler's Bay, (an area renown for its unique white sand dunes that lies in the path of the migratory Southern Right Whale), would solve the water supply problem and hence allow mining to take place. The water would then be transported long distances through massive pipe lines straight through the heart of this rare and vulnerable country. One scientist who recently visited the region, Ms Kirsten Blood, stated, "It is clear to me that this country, is extremely fragile and requires immediate protection from the looming mining industry."
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These parks hold great cultural significance to the Kokatha Mula people, an Aboriginal tribe on the far west of our state. For years the Kokatha Mula, concerned by the increasing threat and impact that mining companies will have on this fragile environment, have been calling for an end to mining exploration. Their targets are to see that and pushing to acquire singularly proclamation status of these parks to ensure this unique country and the sacred sites escape the jaws of heavy mining machinery.
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"We frequently walk this land. We know the land and the stories it holds." Said Aunty Sue Coleman-Haseldine, Kokatha Mula. "We are calling on all Australians to preserve our culture for the land and for future generations".
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> "Our sacred sites are not to be trifled with." Said Aunty Colleen, Kokatha Mula.
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> Contacts:
> NoAnna (Western Australia): 0412 068 558
> Aunty Sue Coleman Haseldine (Ceduna): 0428 872 375 |
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