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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 39, Number 24, September 27, 1976.

Govt Serves Mining Companies

Govt Serves Mining Companies

Recent press releases indicate that the Minister's of Lands and Mines have been discussing ways in which the 1971 Act may be amended to allow such proposals as those of Consolidated Silver.

The Mines Department, with the diminution of its state responsibilities, has become in effect a service organisation for mining interests, with little interest in conservation. In fact, in a telephone conversation with a spokesman from the Department, he justified his Department's support for proposals such as Consolidated Silver's by saying that "most national parks are only National Parks by accident anyway". Such an arrogant attitude is obviously doing much to support the claims of potential exploiters.

At present, Consolidated Silver has two possible proposals under consideration.

(a) The Mount George Scheme : This scheme calls for the extensive mining (by tunnel method) of the Mount George area, with the building of an underground conveyer to carry ore to Deep Cove, from where it would be shipped. Consolidated Silver points out to conservationists that this system removes all the doubtful environmental consequences of the traditional strip-mining method, but the impact of their scheme must be placed in its proper perspective.

The amount of industrial development, support systems and living space needed for such an intensive mining operation must completely destroy the area as a National Park. The whole area would be subject to the considerations of the operation, rather than vice-versa.

The Mount George scheme involves, if it is to be given the go ahead, some ammendments to the 1971 Act. Apparently recent discussion between Venn Young and Mines Minister Holland has cleared the way for amendments to the Act. These discussions have come after "a number of misunderstandings" existing between the National Parks authority and Consolidated Silver have been recitified, at least to the satisfaction of Ministers concerned.

If the proposed amendments are made law, it will mean the end of the Mount Aspiring National Park and set an example for similar schemes in other areas.

(b) Beach Sand Utilization : This prospect involves the large scale use of ore bearing Fiordland sands. What is of concern in this case is that current interdepartmental discussion suggests that such a scheme can be accomodated under the auspices of the present Act, which may give Consolidated Silver the right to indiscriminately utililize of the sands of the fiords, and construction of any facilities it sees fit.