Adelaide Hills wineries claim mining company Terramin has failed to manage bushfire risk on Woodside property
Hills winemakers have accused mining company Terramin of failing to manage the bushfire risk at its overgrown Bird in Hand Rd property.
Adelaide Hills
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Mining company Terramin Australia has added fuel to the fire in its ongoing battle with Hills winemakers by - they say - failing to prepare its Woodside property for the upcoming bushfire season.
Hills wineries, including Bird in Hand, Petaluma and Artwine have lodged complaints with the Adelaide Hills Council over the mine site’s unkempt state on Bird in Hand Road.
An inspection of the 36ha site shows metre-high and thickening vegetation, as well as the absence of a required 5m fire break.
This has prompted increasing fears among neighbouring property owners who are still recovering from the aftermath of the Cudlee Creek bushfires.
A Terramin spokesman said the company took its land management seriously and would do what was needed “in a timely manner.”
Kym and Kirsten Davis, who run a small vineyard just 150 metres from the proposed mine site, said Terramin had made little to no effort to maintain the property over the past year.
“The Terramin site burnt very quickly with the fire spreading through paddocks and trees and posing a threat to neighbouring land, including ours,” Mr Davis said.
“We actually fought fires on the adjoining Terramin property to try to prevent it jumping fence lines and roads because there was no-one from Terramin doing so.
“Fast forward to today, and we are extremely concerned but not surprised by the bushfire risk the Terramin property still represents.
“In some places, the grass is more than 1.5 metres tall and fire-damaged trees have not been removed, which we find extremely concerning.”
Mr Davis said a crisis meeting was held among property owners last week to discuss the best cause of action, which includes seeking council support.
It comes as Bird in Hand road experiences its first grass and tree fire last week.
Mr Davis’s neighbour, Malcolm Scroop said while property owners were doing everything to prepare themselves for the next bushfire, Terramin remained absent.
“They weren’t there during the fire and they’ve made absolutely no attempt to prepare their property for this year,” he said.
“The worrying part with Terramin is that they say they are responsible citizens of the area but they are not backing themselves up and that’s a real worry.”
Simon Tolley of Simon Tolley Wine also echoes his neighbours concerns.
“We’re all doing what we can to prepare ourselves for the fires but they are clearly not - but should be.”
Terramin has hit back at claims, stating company staff worked tirelessly at the site during the Cudlee Creek blazes.
“Terramin staff were at the property on the bushfire day,” he said.
“Among other activities, they manned the property’s gravity fed water supply, which was provided to multiple mobile farm fire units.
“These units, in turn, directly assisted various other nearby properties.”
The Adelaide Hills Council’s director of strategy and development Marc Salver said fire prevention officers would conduct an inspection of the mine site on Monday as part of an ongoing risk assessment in the region.
So far 10,000 properties have been inspected and 461 105F notices issues.
“If required, a notice will be sent to Terramin to require them to undertake slashing around the perimeter of the property,” Mr Salver said,
“However, as the property is over 36 hectares in size, there are no legislative requirements for them to reduce the fuel load on the property beyond (a) boundary break in order to inhibit the spread of a fire.”