Save Steve Irwins Place

[Juztin]

Just a petition set up by the Australian Zoo to stop mining on Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve.


Save Steve's Place

The Situation

The Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve (SIWR) is being threatened by strip mining. Cape Alumina Pty Ltd has lodged mining lease applications which include approximately 12,300 ha of the Reserve. Cape Alumina company documents indicate an intention to mine 50 plus million tons over a 10 year period commencing 2010. The greater part of this mine is on SIWR

The proposed area for mining on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve contains the head waters of irreplaceable waterways and unique biodiversity which will not recover after mining operations are finished.

Fair enough it can create jobs in this time but thats only looking at the short term effect.

Just thought I'd post it up here for a bit of a read and maybe if the petition is going to work, why not =].

Cheers

 

[minux]

Yay, just what we need, more miners destroying more of Australia.

No doubt that dipshit QLD Premier will allow them to go ahead though. That woman is as bright as a black room.

 

[MasterOfReality]

If I recall, the Irwin's bought that place knowing that a mining company had plans next door.

Its like buying next to the airport and having a whinge about the noise.

Idiots.

 

[minux]

If I recall, the Irwin's bought that place knowing that a mining company had plans next door.

Its like buying next to the airport and having a whinge about the noise.

Idiots.

Perhaps they bought this to prevent more damage to such a wonderful eco-system...strip mining does nothing but damage for everything around it.

The only idiots here are anyone who supports destroying this sort of environment.

 

[MasterOfReality]

One thing you have to realise is the enviro clowns are the biggest bunch of drama queens when it comes to something like this.

I'll say it again, they are idiots.

 

[greenfoam]

MasterOfReality, I don't like your attitude

 

[Goon]

I signed

 

[MasterOfReality]

Greenfoam (and Minux) I'll tell you why I can't stand enviros and take whatever they say with a large dose of doubt.

As I work in the mining industry I get to deal with environmental groups on a weekly basis.

To put it in a nutshell, anything to do with the environment is legislated, i.e. the mining company involved has to abide by the legislation and complete several requirements in order to be granted permission to mine, and this includes their plans on rehabilitation. Everything done, especially in increasingly tight legislative times like now, has to be fully traceable and transparent.

In comparison, any claims made by environmental groups isn't held to the same scrutiny.

From my experience, the whole cycle goes like this:

1. Mining company applies for an mining extension or permission to start a new mine. Notice is given to the government, traditional owners/other owners and green groups.

2. Government tells mining company to complete an EIS or other relevant management plan, including plans for rehab. This takes around 2 years to complete.

3. Green groups take a look at the findings and declare that they oppose mining in this area, regardless of what the findings are.

4. Green groups then go public with unsubstantiated claims which in many cases are not verified, in order to get the public on their side if they feel their case is threatened, or the government may approve of the operation.

I have seen this time and time again, and thats why I come across as a cynic in these issues. The amount of mis-information and propaganda put out there by green groups in order to drum up hysteria amongst the generally ignorant public (ignorant in terms of mining methods and rehab processes) and promote the 'mining is bad' mantra is astonishing.

I'm not proposing mining in every available location, but until one sees the actual mine plan, location of the natural water table and all other relevant factors then one can make a judgment, not just because the Irwin's said so.

Besides, if the revered Irwins didn't own this land, would we be hearing all this fuss about it now?

 

[greenfoam]

MasterOfReality, mining in a desert or near desert is one thing (bad enough) but it definatly shouldn't be done anywhere near any place that has abundant life and a well sorted eco system. It only takes the very slightest disurbence to soil or water to stuff it up. Yes we all need mining due to the current way we humans are living (wrongly ) but that doesn't mean there's any need to defend mining, the practice of digging up and removing a material faster than it is able to be deposited is clearly outstandingly wrong in so many ways and the more it can be restricted the better of future generations will be.

Not only because they will have more resources left to build important stuff rather than the throw away crap we use it for now but they will have more of the planet left intact.

Also the less you dig up the less you have to bury again in junk.

Having the land owned buy the Irwins is great, it brings the issue to the public. Nothing could be better . Green groups do a very important job in the whole scheme of things, without them to keep things slightly in check we would be in a whole heap more **** than we are allready, they should be respected for that. You so often see the owners of mining companys get on tv and oppose everything anyone wants to do (because it affects their money making) that I've become a total cynic of anything and everything to do with mining, they are a bunch a ********s that had little to no understanding of anything all they see are $$$$$$, really that's how they come across. If there were no green groups twisting arms we would still have open cut mines left, with pollutants everywhere with no regeneration work required afterwards etc like we did just a few years ago

 

[MasterOfReality]

Greenfoam,

Everywhere that mining has occurred would once have been pristine environment with a well sorted eco system. Why such a focus on this area? Everything that humans do impact on the eco system, whether it be mining, farming or building houses.

Have you ever been to a rehabilited mine site? You would be hard pressed to tell the difference.

So you have become a cynic from what you have seen on tv? Mining does have a dirty reputation, I won't deny that, and the media doesn't help that either whilst conveniently ignoring the fact that mining (and farming) made this country.

Green groups are largely ignorant of the mining processes and scream blue murder just because they can. Half of them wouldn't know the difference between a strip mine and a open cut mine if it was staring them in the face. I have heard some wildly innacurate claims over the years with my previous jobs. But then again I usually find the groups that scream the loudest are the ones that know the least.