Margaret River region needs proactive measures to protect against mining explorers: conservationists

The region’s conservationists have warned the Capes could face an increased threat from the mining sector driven by the search for rare earths and other critical minerals.

Margaret River Regional Environment Centre co-ordinator Peta Goodwin said the shire faced increasing pressure from prospective miners, as demonstrated by a bid from prospectors Century Minerals inland in the south of the shire.

The clean energy boom was seeing an uptick in speculative applications that could put the region’s lifestyle and natural environment at risk, she told the Times.

“We see this sort of speculative selling and acquisition of exploration and/or mining tenement leases as very threatening, as was pointed out to the Shire (of Augusta-Margaret River),” Ms Goodwin said.

In April, Nature Conservation Margaret River Region added its voice to the debate by formally objecting alongside others to the Century Minerals project still awaiting a review from the State Government.

General manager Drew Mckenzie told the Times the application affected a “massive” area including sites of “great cultural, conservation and agricultural significance”.

A spokesperson for Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael said the latest exploration bid was still under review.

An approved program of work was needed before any exploration-related activities could start, but the Department of Energy, Mines, Industrial Regulation and Safety would liaise with other agencies before any decision was made.

“There is no statutory timeframe for this review process,” the spokesperson said.

“This process ensures that any exploration activity is only approved where appropriate levels of protection are afforded to safeguard the environment.

“If the exploration activities could significantly affect the environment, as defined by the Environmental Protection Act, DEMIRS has to refer the proposal to the Environmental Protection Authority for assessment.”

Shire president Julia Meldrum said the local government was awaiting the minister’s response after the shire lodged a submission for the exploration licence to be refused.

“Our submission on this matter demonstrates our established and ongoing commitment to protecting our natural assets from any type of inappropriate development, including mining, because we want to safeguard what makes August-Margaret River so special,” she said.

It was the EPA referral process which kicked off a three-year fight against a proposed coal mine at Osmington in 2010.

However, the minister declined to comment on whether the 240sqkm mining prohibition later established to quash the Osmington project could be extended to other portions of the shire.