Glenaladale was hit hard by bushfires in February 2014 which burnt more than 6000ha destroying homes, farming infrastructure, fences and pasture and causing significant stock losses. While people were still in shock, burying animals and trying to reconstruct their lives a representative from Kalbar Resources arrived on fire impacted properties and wanting to do exploration drilling. This representative claimed he did not know a fire had occurred – “he was standing on burnt ground”. No compassion or empathy was shown to the landowners.
This complete lack of sensitivity and understanding has been a hallmark of interactions since then, and was further evidenced with Kalbar claiming at a community meeting later that year at Mossiface that they would focus their mining at Glenaladale because there was only a ‘handful of sheep farmers, a few lettuce growers and a burnt out blue-gum plantation’ there.
The socio-economic and health studies being done for the EES show they have little interest in the well-being of our local community and in fact most deliberately avoid looking at what we as a community will have to endure but only look at impacts more than 5 kilometres away
At a meeting at Glenaladale in December 2014, one of Kalbar’s directors openly stated that if the community did not want a mine they would not proceed. An independent survey done since then has shown that over 82% of impacted landowners on the project footprint do not want mineral sands mining on their land and yet Kalbar persist.
How will this mine affect our community
- This is a highly inappropriate location for a mine, near where people live, work and children go to school
- Experience from other Communities impacted by mining indicate – a demise in population, reduction in the numbers of children attending local schools, decrease in residents supporting sporting activities, decline in available Community members to support essential service groups (fire brigade, Community working bees)
- More than 50 people live within one or two kilometres of the mine site and will experience
- Hundreds of people live with 5km
- All will be exposed to health threatening noise and dust levels
- All will be exposed to increased road danger due to 60 tonne B Double trucks using local roads 24 hours a day
- Those reliant on bore water for stock or irrigation will be competing with Kalbar for supplies
Livelihoods
- Potential destruction of our sustainableagri-food businesses: dairying, beef cattle production, wool and fat lamb production, wool, cropping, vineyards, vegetable packaging and processing – these industries could be under threat
- Contamination and destruction of the aquifers (groundwater) and surface water.
- Mine could wipe out many more jobs in the horticultural industry than they create for their workforce
- Competing for water resource with other users
- Vegetables on the Mitchell Valley Flats are produced under strict quality assurance systems with zero tolerance of impurities. The proponents will not guarantee their mine would not compromise this? Instead we are told ‘if it happens you can always try to sue us’
- The ice in which the vegetables are packed is produced from water sourced from the Mitchell River. Same river that will be impacted by the mine.
- The bulk of the vegetables produced on the Mitchell Valley Flats are not washed (e.g. broccoli). Any vegetables that are washed are washed in river water. In most plants dust becomes entrained in the plant and cannot be washed out – contrary to Kalbar’s statement
- Because of the high elevation of the mine, the prevailing N/W winds will carry radioactive dust over vegetable flats and fouling surrounding animal pastures
Dust
- The mine is on a plateau that catches a lot of wind. Contaminated dust will travel for many kilometres affecting everyone in its path
- The dust from the mine is not normal ‘dust’ – it contains many dangerous products including radioactive materials and at least four known carcinogens
- Mines in other areas report clogged downpipes requiring regularly cleaning, problems with drinking water (larger the surface area the higher the percentage of contamination with dust and radiation)
- Most households rely on tanks water for domestic use and have noother option for their water supply
- Solar panels covered in dust will lower efficiency for electricity production
- Respirable Crystalline Silica Dust – Carcinogenic Category 1, invisible dust – causing silicosis
- Dust emissions will come from – Soil stripping, stockpiling, ore removal, processing, transportation of ore and wind erosion
Noise
- Mine is situated on an elevated plateau and noise will carry through the valley (tonal qualities of repetitive project-generated noise) and be more prevalent with variable weather and wind direction.
- Noise sources -Traffic to and from mine site, Heavy Mineral Concentrate transport, Mobile plant and equipment, Mobile plan and equipment servicing and repair, Mining Unit Plant, Wet Concentrator Plant, Concrete batch plant.
- Diesel generators used in the interim before mains power available
- Where these mines have operated in other areas, locals who lived over 7 kilometres away talked about the noise of the processing units being like a machine gun going off in your back yard.
- Noise be heard up to 15 km which is Shannon Waters Estate including, Lindenow, Lindenow South, Walpa, Glenaladale, Fernbank
- Large machinery and processing plants will emit vibration constantly
- How can you protect native animals and livestock from this continuous noise?