The community is concerned about the serious and irreversible environmental damage.
The proposed Fingerboards mine will have a number of negative impacts on the immediate, surrounding and downstream environments. These include:
- altering the flows of the Mitchell River through diverting water from dammed gullies back to mine operations and destroying the capacity of the Fingerboards area to act as a gravel ‘recharge’ area
- siltation of the River when the inevitable floods wash the exposed sands downhill, negative impacts on aquatic biodiversity through siltation,
- leaching of flocculants, heavy metals and other contaminants into the Mitchell and Perry River system, and
- changes to groundwater levels through ‘mounding’ in and around the project area and decreased levels many kilometres further afield.
The company has already stated they will cut down many hundreds of mature trees that currently provide shelter for livestock and native animals and are an important support for biodiversity in the area. Offset requirements are inadequate and do nothing to rectify the damage done to our local environment.
In addition contaminated dust from mining can ‘smother’ vegetation, causing changes in photosynthesis and has been proven to lead to bioaccumulation of heavy metals in soil and pasture for many kilometres around minesites that can lead to elevated readings in livestock and native animals.
A changed environment
- 1,675 hectares of which 1,100 hectares (11 square kilometres) is to be mined. The area being mined will be larger than the Hazelwood Mine, with no guarantee that rehabilitation will occur.
- Significant remnant vegetation will be removed including over 400 mature shade and habitat trees
- Destruction of EPBC (Federally listed) eco systems
- Destruction of crucial habitat for rare and endangered species
- Destruction of creeks and waterways
- Contamination of streams
- Adverse effects of the RAMSAR listed wetlands, Gippsland Lakes and heritage listed Mitchell River and Perry River systems
- Aesthetic destruction to the gateway to the Alpine and Mitchell River National Parks
- This will be an open-cut mine dug to a depth of up to 45m
- 200,000 metric tons Greenhouse gas emissions from the excavation and processing of this mine
- Dust contamination of pastures, crops and domestic and stock water is inevitable within several kilometres of any open-cut mine.
- Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in soils, pastures, crops and stock is a common problem with persistent dust contamination. Kalbar acknowledges it can’t eliminate all the dust.
- Impacts from tunnel erosion, acid sulphate soils, sedimentation, landform instability – in view of previous studies/ trails, success is still not evident after 10 years following rehabilitation
Increase use of chemicals within the environment
- Flocculants are used to settle clay but are toxic to aquatic life
- They will be used in high doses and will leach through the tailings dam to Perry River system
Impact on flora and fauna species within the area
Flora/Fauna species recorded in area include:
- 9 rare or threatened flora species
- 10 species listed as rare or poorly known on Advisory List of Rare or Threatened Plant in Victoria.
- 2 national listed species (dwarf kerrawang, swamp everlasting)
- 2 state listed species (yellow wood, prostrate cone-bush)
- 42 rare or threatened terrestrial fauna species
- 11 native 2 exotic fish species- including Australian grayling, Flinders pygmy perch
- freshwater turtle
- platypus
Many of the local farming families have preserved large areas of native habitat on their properties for the last 150 years. These areas, including many ancient trees, will be totally destroyed. Some of these areas adjoin bush-land that links to the Providence Ponds Nature Reserve, one of only three sites in Victoria for the New Holland Mouse. Adequate surveys have not been undertaken to determine what species would be impacted.
RAMSAR Wetlands
- These wetlands are bird life refuges and migratory routes for many species of birds they would be devastated by dust and increased sediment flows into Rivers
- How will the proponent manage the project area soils re potential adverse effects on hydrology and water quality, permeable gravel beds within the recharge areas?
Groundwater
- Little confidence that bores the company claims they will monitor are in fact monitoring the same aquifers for flow and water quality that are being used by other farm water users.
- Mounding and migration of groundwater from the backfilled tailings material along the mine path during operations will include chemicals, dust suppressants, radionuclides, sedimentation – how can they prevent these from entering the water table, creeks, streams, rivers, farmers dams, household water supplies?
Changed ecology of the rivers
- If the mine is not stabilised and we have a large volume of rainfall which is a regular occurrence in “normal years” the sediment will impact both the Mitchell River and the Perry River systems. The Mitchell River is a hatchery for Black Bream and Graylings, it flows through the world-renowned Silt Jetties into the Gippsland Lakes. We cannot afford anything to compromise this recreational and commercial fishery and this outstanding tourist destination.
- The area proposed to be mined is 80m uphill of the Mitchell River and contain extremely fragile soils that readily dissolve in heavy rainfall events. They will fill the river with sediment, destroying the aquatic environment in both the river and the Gippsland Lakes. The Perry River’s unique Chain of Ponds is at risk.