The list of documents has grown massively. To make it easier to access them (and to ensure they don’t disappear after the hearings are over) we are downloading them to our website. You can open the documents to read them or download them if you choose.
Document 294 is a list of questions the panel wants Kalbar to answer. It’s a reflection of the difficulty of getting anything out of the experts who are all responsible for some small thing, were acting on inadequate directions from Kalbar and clearly don’t seem to understand much about each others work or the mines layout or operations.
What is noticeable is the lateness with which Kalbar loads documents – always after working hours on the day before they are going to be relied on and sometimes on the morning of that day. We are appalled at how they are abusing the expectations of the IAC in regard to fairness of the proceedings but knowing Kalbar these gutter tactics are what we’ve come to expect. It would be nice though, if the rules of fairness that are imposed on all other parties were applied to them and that there was some way of holding them to account.
WEEK 1 – Experts speaking for Kalbar were Paul Gibson-Roy (Rehabilitation), MFG’s Economics Expert – Rod Campbell of The Australia Institute – was subjected to the most gross attempt at character assassination by Kalbar’s barrister – Stuart Morrison – we are appalled that the Chair did not put a stop to it. When there are no rules of evidence surely basic human decency should come into play? Regardless Rod did a stirling job of showing just how dodgy the economics of the project are. Day 4’s audio of the hearing is here. The audio isn’t indexed but the cross examination of Rod took place over the last couple of hours.
WEEK ONE
A harbinger of things to come, Kalbar were so late submitting the water expert conclave reports in that the timetables had to be changed (inconveniencing a great number of people). As a result, the Groundwater experts Joel Georgiou and Hugh Middlemis who were to appear on Wednesday 5 May 2021 were moved to Friday 14 May 2021, Paul Carter on traffic and transport who was to appear on Friday 14 May 2021 has been moved to Monday 17 May 2021, Karen Teague (health risk assessment) who was to appear on Friday 14 May 2021 has been moved to the afternoon of Thursday 13 May 2021.
Day 1 – Monday 3rd May 2021 – Opening submissions – AUDIO RECORDING DAY 1
Day 2 Tuesday May 4th 2021 – Ivan Seracik – Centrifuges, John Glossop – Planning – AUDIO RECORDING DAY 2
Day 3 Wednesday May 5th 2021 – Paul Gibson-Roy – Rehabilitation – DAY 3 AUDIO RECORDING
Day 4 – Jarrah Muller (EMM) Water balance, Tony McAlister (Water Technology) Surface water quality – AUDIO RECORDING DAY 4
Day 5 – Michael Cheetham (Water Technology) Erosion and sedimentation, ROD CAMPBELL FOR MFG (ECONOMICS) – AUDIO RECORDING DAY 5
WEEK 2 – Started off the same way as week 1 with Kalbar abusing the system and submitting documents to be relied at such a late hour that the other parties could not possibly have time to read them before the witnesses presentations. Disgusting, low behaviour which will continue unless they are pulled up – and an indication of how they will behave if they are, against all common sense, granted a licence.
Day 6 – James Weidmann (Water Technology) surface water and flooding, John Sweeney (Coffey) Water impact – AUDIO RECORDING DAY 6
Day 7 – Robert Loch (Landloch) Rehabilitation, Aaron Organ (Ecology & Heritage Partners) Ecology – AUDIO RECORDING DAY 7
Day 8 – Doris Blaesing (RMCG) Horticulture, Darren Billingsley (SGS) Radiation – AUDIO RECORDING DAY 8
Day 9 – Christopher Delaire (Marshall Day) Acoustics, Simon Welchman (Katestone) Air quality, Karen Teague (Coffey) Health risk assessment
Day 10 – Joel Georgiou (EMM) Groundwater, Hugh Middlemis (HydroGeologic) Groundwater
Day 11: Monday 17 May 2021 Paul Carther (ARUP) Traffic and transport