Terramin Australia denies Bird-in-Hand gold mine will damage Hills’ agricultural livelihood
A PROPOSED gold mine at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills would put more than $800 million in economic output at risk, opponents say — a claim that mining company Terramin Australia says is totally incorrect.
A PROPOSED gold mine at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills would put more than $800 million in economic output at risk, opponents say — a claim that mining company Terramin Australia says is totally incorrect.
The historic Bird-in-Hand gold mine is surrounded by agricultural interests, including Bird in Hand, Artwine, and the Petaluma Winery.
Terramin intends to spend about $28 million developing a new underground operation, with the ore to be trucked to Strathalbyn to be processed.
The Adelaide-based mining company says state mining regulations demand that it do no harm and it “aims to develop a project with positive economic outcomes aligned with community’s environmental expectations’’.
“The project will only be able to go ahead if there is sufficient evidence that the local population and businesses are not materially and negatively impacted by the project whether in respect of water access and quality, noise, dust, amenities, transport etc,’’ chief technical officer Joe Ranford said.
“This evidence needs to be based on science and facts — not perceptions.’’
The Inverbrackie Creek Catchment group opposes the project and has released an economic report it commissioned which it says shows that nearly $800 million in gross state product and 772 jobs in the Adelaide Hills region lie within a 5km radius of the mine, and could be threatened.
The group has previously raised concerns about the proposed mine’s potential effects on the water table. The Group’s chairman, local livestock producer Jim Franklin-McEvoy, said “these findings show that the proposed mine makes neither economic nor environmental sense”.
“The ICCG will continue to use evidence-based arguments to highlight the threat to the local community and economy should this mine go ahead.
“Several leading wineries could be affected by the project, as well as cattle graziers and crop growers.’’
Mr Ranford disputed the validity of the report. “This is not an impact statement study but simply a projected assessment of the contribution of agricultural and viticultural activities in the area,’’ he said.
“The report provides a useful comparison to other economic information available on regional agribusiness however it does not address the economic benefits and positive inputs of the (mining) project.”
Mr Ranford said Terramin’s previous Angas Zinc Mine at Strathalbyn injected $273 million into the local economy over seven years. Terramin says the project would create up to 140 direct jobs and more indirectly for five years. A spokesman for the Government said Terramin would need to meet “high standards” to even begin the mining lease application process.
“It will be necessary for Terramin to openly engage with interested individuals, businesses and groups on the design of the project for these in-depth studies to be carried out.
“DPC’s assessment of an application would consider any comments made from the community including any submission from the Inverbrackie Catchment Group.’’