Tanya Plibersek ‘stalling’ marginal seat mine decision
Tanya Plibersek is accused of stalling another major environmental decision in a marginal seat, with 600 jobs – and a National Heritage-class rainforest – on the line.
Tanya Plibersek is accused of stalling another major marginal-seat environmental decision, casting doubt on the future of one of Australia’s longest-running mines, in northwest Tasmania.
Majority Chinese-owned MMG needs to build a new tailings storage to extend beyond 2030 the life of the 88-year-old zinc, copper and lead mine at Rosebery.
The mine, which employs up to 600 people, has been waiting since 2022 for the federal Environment Minister to approve preliminary drilling and roadwork at the proposed South Marionoak site.
Coalition environment spokesman Jonno Duniam told The Australian a decision – similar to that relating to salmon farming in the region – was long overdue.
“The community of the West Coast must be starting to wonder where this federal government is at when it comes to major projects that are their economic lifeline,” Senator Duniam said.
“The minister has had on her desk for the entirety of the time she has been minister a request to enable things to progress with the MMG tailings facility, which is essential for the future of the mine.”
The mine is in the electorate of Braddon, where there is already frustration at Ms Plibersek’s failure to rule on the future of salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour.
It is one of two Tasmanian marginal seats the ALP hopes to retake from the Liberals at the coming election, with Anne Urquhart due to quit the upper house to contest the seat for Labor.
MMG – which had a Morrison government approval overturned in the courts in July 2022 – is scoping potential alternative sites, as a fallback in case the South Marionoak site cannot proceed.
However, the mine on Tuesday confirmed South Marionoak remained a “focus”. “Our priority is to find a long-term tailings storage solution to ensure we can … take Rosebery Mine well beyond 100 years of continuous operation,” said mine general manager Steve Scott.
“Rosebery Mine … provides significant financial contributions and employment opportunities across Tasmania. MMG Rosebery pays more than $1.1m annually in rates to the West Coast Council and more than $70m in employee salaries and benefits.”
Current projects to increase embankments on existing tailings dams would extend the mine’s life only to 2030.
Ms Plibersek referred queries to her department, which said the MMG proposal was “being assessed in accordance with national environment law”.
The proposed new 140ha tailings dam has created huge controversy, centred on the clearing of up to 285ha, including rainforest.
Bob Brown Foundation campaigner Scott Jordan said delays were the fault of MMG, not the minister, given there were less environmentally destructive options it could pursue.
“The site proposed is an area of outstanding rainforest and is part of the (takayna/Tarkine) area assessed as having National Heritage value by the Australian Heritage Commission,” Mr Jordan said.
“It’s home to a whole bunch of threatened species, most notably the Tasmanian masked owl.”
The public should not be fooled by the expression “preliminary work”, Mr Jordan said. “You’re talking about a huge roading network and over 70 drill pads and test pits, each up to 25m by 25m,” he said. “It’s a disturbance area the equivalent of a small subdivision.”
More than 3000 people had blockaded or demonstrated at the site during the past four years.
This included 1000 across 60 days in 2021 alone, when 70 were arrested in “the biggest peaceful protest action in Australia since the Franklin Dam”. “I think we’d see even that record fall if this gets approved,” Mr Jordan said.
Senator Urquhart did not respond to requests for comment.
