As you may know there are several large mining projects are being planned for the Kempsey, Bellingen and Nambucca local government areas by companies such as Anchor Resources, Emu Nickel and Precious Metal Resources. This newsletter is to help keep everyone updated on the latest developments since our initial public meeting in Macksville
Local Council Elections
We have recently invited all Council Candidates in the Nambucca, Bellingen and Kempsey electorates to complete a short online questionnaire to state publicly where they stand on the issue of mining before your community votes on Saturday Sept 8th. We are publishing the responses as they come in and they make for interesting reading. The reponses can be found on our website here
Emu Nickel fail to raise $60 million for Hillgrove Antimony mine
We may have just had our first big win!! But it maybe only a temporary one. As you know Emu nickel were poised to buy the nasty Straits Antimony mine at Hillgrove and swing back into major production (see below) http://www.emunickel.
However we have just discovered they failed to raise the $60 million capital required for the project http://www.
metalbulletin.com/Article/
3026667/Emu-Nickel-fails-to-antimony-mine.html
We do wonder if dragging up the history of the Hillgrove Mine had anything to do with this ?
Sad history of Antimony mining revealed at Kempsey
Macleay River valley NSW (Photo credit: Wikipedia)We have recently uncovered a lot more information about the extent of the toxic spills into the Macleay River from the Hillgrove Antimony mine which underscores why we are campaigning so hard to try and stop further Antimony mining that could impact on the catchment areas of the Macleay, Nambucca and Bellingen rivers. We urge everyone to read the Kempsey Council minutes which shows the impact and cost to the community that the Antimony Mining operation at Hillgrove has caused over the years, and the serious risk to public health that it continues to pose.
http://www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au/
Sad history of Antimony mining revealed at Kempsey
Macleay River valley NSW (Photo credit: Wikipedia)We have recently uncovered a lot more information about the extent of the toxic spills into the Macleay River from the Hillgrove Antimony mine which underscores why we are campaigning so hard to try and stop further Antimony mining that could impact on the catchment areas of the Macleay, Nambucca and Bellingen rivers. We urge everyone to read the Kempsey Council minutes which shows the impact and cost to the community that the Antimony Mining operation at Hillgrove has caused over the years, and the serious risk to public health that it continues to pose.http://www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au/
pdfsCnlMtgs/search.asp?
searWords=antimony&Send=GoPrecious Metal Resources lodge two more exploration applications
Showing their intentions to secure all the available group1 Mineral Exploration licenses in their search for Antimony and Gold, Precious Metal Resources Pty Ltd have just lodged two new exploration applications for Group1 Metalic Minerals in the Kempsey/Armidale area. (ELA 4607 and ELA 4608)
More details can be found by using the NSW Goverments online titles viewing application MinView
Sharyn Munro to speak at Bellingen on Friday Sept 7th
“Rich Land, Wasteland has to be the most important book for everybody to read in 2012″
For nearly a year Sharyn Munro travelled through rural Australia, visiting communities in coal-mining areas. She found a war zone.
Here, ‘at the coalface’, towns and districts are dying — homeowners and farmers forced out by mining, broken in spirit and in health, or else under threat, in limbo and battling the might of the multinationals. Incidences of asthma, cancers and heart attacks show alarming spikes in communities close to coal mines and coal power stations, yet the government seems powerless (or unwilling) to act.
Notice for a meeting about Sharyn Munro's book: Rich land, Wasteland (Photo credit: kateausburn)Once reliable rivers and aquifers are drying up or become polluted, once fertile agricultural land is becoming unusable. But the big mostly foreign-owned mining companies continue to push on with their coal rush and government continues to assist and protect them: ever more mining licences are granted, ever bigger mines are opened. In this life-changing book, Sharyn exposes the real story of coal: how people are hurting, and rebelling, as coal pushes into hitherto unthinkable areas; how the true costs outweigh any benefits; and how all of us will ultimately pay the price.
Come and hear Sharyn talk at the Bellingen Public Library on Friday 7th Sept at 10am - It's a free event.
com.au/event/rich-land-waste-
land-book-launch-at-bellingen/Seed Group Meetings
Since our initial public meeting at Macksville we have held several well attended 'seed group' meetings for the Nambucca and Bellingen groups to develop campaign strategies. If you would like to volunteer and particapte in the future development of the Lock the Mid North Coast campaign we would love to hear from you and you can discuss idea's and find out about our future meetings on the members forums here (you must be sign up as a member for free first)
As Tony Abbott made his way over the Bellinger River on Sunday, chants of “Lock the Gate, Lock the Gate” rang out. Riding alongside Member for Cowper, Luke Hartsuyker, Mr Abbott was participating in the NAB Cycle Challenge during a weekend visit to the Coffs Coast. The peaceful and colourful anti-mining protest took place as the riders came off Lavenders Bridge, with around 80 men, women and children taking up the chant.
Many were part of a newly formed group, ‘Lock the Gate Mid North Coast’ which is opposing several large scale antimony and gold mining projects on the Dorrigo plateau and in the Nambucca and Bellinger Valley.
Spokesman for Lock the Gate, Glen Schaefer, said the group wanted to take the opportunity to let Tony Abbott know their feelings. “We wanted to take the opportunity to let Tony Abbott know that the Bellingen and Nambucca communities are strongly opposed to any form of mining in our catchment areas that could potentially contaminate the Macleay, Nambucca, Kalang or Bellinger Rivers, or harm our prime agricultural lands,” Mr Schaefer said.
Spokesman for Lock the Gate, Glen Schaefer, said the group wanted to take the opportunity to let Tony Abbott know their feelings. “We wanted to take the opportunity to let Tony Abbott know that the Bellingen and Nambucca communities are strongly opposed to any form of mining in our catchment areas that could potentially contaminate the Macleay, Nambucca, Kalang or Bellinger Rivers, or harm our prime agricultural lands,” Mr Schaefer said.
But Mr Hartsuyker, who invited Mr Abbott as a special guest on the charity ride, was not impressed with the protest.
Read the full story herehttp://www.coffscoastindependent.com.au/story/188840/mining-protestors-greet-abbott-on-ride/?cs=393
About Us
Lock the Mid North Coast is a large group of local residents from Bellingen Shire, Coffs Harbour City, Clarence Valley and Nambucca Shire local government areas of NSW who have joined together to prevent destructive mining projects. There are now over 2,600 members of our Facebook group and nearly 1,500 local residents and land owners are on our mailing list.
For further details about the mining projects happening in our area including document downloads, video's, news and maps about all the various mining projects happening in our region please visit our web site at: http://lockthemidnorthcoast.com.au
E: info@lockthemidnorthcoast.com.au
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