The Clarence Catchment Alliance (CCA) and Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) have announced a four-day ‘legal and community roadshow’ to launch this weekend.
Sessions are to be held in the Clarence Valley catchment area but one in Grafton on Sunday 27 July is to be live-streamed.
Organisers say they intend to provide free legal support, scientific insight, and solidarity in the face of mineral mining exploration pressure across the region.
Uninvited access requests, property buyout offers, and uncertainty around 44 exploration licences said to be in effect across the region are referred to in a media release about the roadshow.
The licences allow holders to search for copper, cobalt, antimony, and gold amongst other minerals.
Clarence Catchment Alliance spokesperson Shae Fleming says the roadshow was ‘born directly’ from what organisers have been hearing ‘on the ground’.
‘These events are for all of us to come together in safe, open spaces’ Ms Fleming says, ‘to ask questions, to understand our rights, and to
speak freely without pressure’.
Landholder speaks of prolonged, costly legal battle
Organisers have also quoted from landholder Stephen Ross, who they say is based near Tabulam and has become ‘a powerful voice for reform’.
Mr Ross says he bought some neighbouring land for conservation purposes in 2010, ‘naively’ signing an agreement with a miner who had three mining leases on the land and eight years until their expiry.
‘Little did I realise the impact of this agreement on me and
the land,’ Mr Ross says, adding that the state government has since renewed the mining leases by another 21 years.
Mr Ross says the NSW mining act isn’t a fair system as it ‘enables the miner and disadvantages the landholder’.
‘The requirements for miners in NSW to contact landholders when applying for an Exploration License over their property is to place an advertisement in a newspaper,’ he says.
‘Usually, the first contact property owners have with miners is when they knock at the door with an access agreement and a good line of BS,’ he says.
Mr Ross also says he has spent more than $10,000 on related legal costs.
‘I have been interviewed by the police, investigated by the mining
resource regulator with threats of fines up to $22,000, been locked out of my property,’ he says.
He says the community roadshow will help landholders to meet miners ‘well informed of their legal rights’ in regard to land access.
Scientist to present case study
Organisers say scientific evidence will be presented in the sessions, including a case study from Southern Cross University Hydrogeochemist Professor Scott Johnston.
The professor’s research into mining legacy impacts in the Macleay River ‘has strong warnings for the Clarence,’ they say.
‘Data indicates it could take 600–1000 years before the river is fully leached of antimony back to pre-mining levels,’ the media release reads, ‘it provides a sobering reminder of the importance of taking care of our
river systems, and of the potential for unintended long-term effects’.
This weekend’s roadshow is to start with a round of talks, community BBQ and live music in Copmanhurst on Saturday.
Sunday’s livestreamed event in Grafton starts at 1pm and finishes at 4pm.
The roadshow is to then head to Drake and Dorrigo with speakers, interactive workshops and light refreshments promised at all sessions.
More detail below:
- Saturday 26 July – Copmanhurst 12pm–4pm
Speakers + Q&A. Community BBQ, supported by holiday Coast Meats and Bakarindi Bush Foods + music by Antwone Quinlin-Randall
- Sunday 27 July – Grafton 1pm–4pm
Speakers + Q&A & livestreamed www.youtube.com/@ClarenceCatchmentAlliance
- Monday 28 July – Drake 1pm–4pm
Speakers + Q&A, light refreshments
- Tuesday 29 July – Dorrigo 1pm–4pm
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