To The Minister 1

Dear Minister

We have just been made aware of this news article from the Bendigo Advertiser, dated 11 September, 2014, regarding the very gracious and productive visit paid to Costerfield by Ms Lily D’Ambrosio and Ms Clare Malcom on the previous day. It reads, in part:

Ms D'Ambrosio said the government's handling of the Costerfield disaster was reminiscent of the Hazelwood mine fire in Morwell.

"It's a repeated practice of the government of failing to respond in a timely fashion to community concerns," she said. 

"We need a government that shows leadership and that has not been forthcoming from Russell Northe or indeed the government as a whole," she said. 

Ms D'Ambrosio said Labor would formulate a plan for Costerfield before November in time for the election. 

A spokesperson for the state government said it was "laughable" and "a bit rich" for Ms D'Ambrosio to visit Costerfield six months after the community first made its concerns known.

"When a complaint was made regarding dust levels in March, this government responded immediately and directed the mine to put in measures to reduce the dust which are now in place and working effectively," the spokesperson said. 

"Ms D'Ambrosio is arriving six months late and her only purpose today is to spread fear and misinformation and it is despicable she would act so irresponsibly and without regard for the community.

The spokesperson said the Costerfield mine was approved, opened and operated under the previous Labor government. 

"Suggestions that an expansion of the Mandalay mine activities at Costerfield led to increased dust deposition levels are unfounded. 

"Mandalay Resources have not substantially changed their underground mining activities or production rates from the approvals granted in 2006 under the former Labor government."

It is quite obvious that this “spokesperson for the government” is not at all familiar with the progress of this mine. Have they been to Costerfield? Have you Minister? Also from the Bendigo Advertiser, dated 29 August, 2014, we have the following statement from Mandalay Resources’ General Manager, Mr Andre Booyzen:

Mr Booyzen said Costerfield Operations had now accessed all areas required for ore production for the 2014 financial year and early 2015 production.

"The mining rates towards the new Cuffley ore body were completed well in excess of anticipated rates," he said. [Emphasis added.]

And we also draw the Minister’s attention to a further Bendigo Advertiser article detailing the approval of the Splitters Creek Evaporative Facility (which is itself a reflection of the mine’s increased extractive operations) and titled, tellingly enough, “Bendigo mine expansion gets green light” from 24 June, 2014. [Emphasis added.]

So, according to the government, the mine has “not substantially changed their underground mining activities or production rates”? Indeed.

In light of this obvious misinformation (it's a lie really, isn't it?) from the unnamed “spokesperson for the government”:

•    Will the Minister, please advise us as to how the “approvals granted in 2006 under the former Labor government” anticipated, and now accommodate, the expansion into the Cuffley Lode (let alone the previous expansions during the intervening years of Liberal government)? 
•    Why, Minister, have environmental and health monitoring activities not been constantly revisited and updated to keep up with these incremental expansions that have taken place under the present government’s watch?
•    Why, Minister, under the current government, has the regulation of this ever-expanding mine been allowed to continue, for eight years, without increased scrutiny or an improving of the standards of the environmental and health impacts? 

We don't think you or the government are listening to everything we are saying, Minister. 

At the Open Day organised by the government, the Chief Inspector of Mines attended in such an under-prepared state that he knew neither which way the creeks flowed with respect to the mine, nor the direction of the prevailing winds (we know why that is, don't we?). It wasn’t a very comfortable afternoon and evening for him, at all. And we were a bit embarrassed for him.

He was ignorant, too, of the fact that the mining license has still to be renewed by the Minister following its expiry. 

While both parties are to blame, Labor has at least decided to rectify all past and current problems in conjunction with the residents. The silence is deafening from the Other Side. 

If the Minister or his "spokesperson" had bothered to attend Costerfield with Ms D'Ambrosio and Ms Malcolm (in the spirit of bi-partisan concern for the community) they would have known that the matters under discussion were the need for an Environmental Effects Statement, the incremental expansion of the mine without due consideration of that expansion's full implications and the systematic under-regulation of the Costerfield Operations by this and previous governments.

Minister, surely it is time to stop playing politics and pointing fingers, and to, instead, start delivering some answers and solutions.

We thank both Ms D’Ambrisio and Ms Malcolm for attending Costerfield to hear our concerns, and look forward to having our voices heard during their preparation of a plan of action for the Costerfield mining operations in the very near future.

***

Apparently, "Departmental staff have also been and remain available to residents at any time to discuss any ongoing concerns". We have been asking questions for quite a while here now and have yet to receive any answers we can share. 

We still await your own reply to our previous questions. All of them.

Regards

The Wappentake Valley Community