Back on Track

Over the past few months our intended path, as stated at the very beginning of our first post, has been necessarily side-tracked somewhat by the unfolding situation with the latest piece of under-regulated mining infrastructure being built in Costerfield.

The lackadaisical oversight of the project from its inception and the disgraceful marginalisation of particular members of the community, those members upon whom the most immediate impacts are being imposed, has often forced us onto paths that may have seemed merely reactionary and even peripheral.

This is not the case. In spite of recent laudable moves by Mandalay Resources towards their correction, the shortcomings of regulatory application to the construction of the Splitters Creek Evaporation and Storage Facility have been obvious. The further shortcomings in the community engagement process, by both the regulators and the mine (the latter, too, being in the process of welcome rectification) are also beyond question. And both of these sets of shortcomings - regulatory and community-centred - are illustrative of the ongoing failings that have been faced by residents and the community for at least a decade during their dealings with the various iterations of this under-regulated operation.

However, the flow of information that has been taking place between the various parties over recent weeks has necessitated a re-evaluation of the priorities of this blog. Some of the issues raised lie well beyond the scope of our intended investigations and some others have sometimes, we admit, lain beyond the scope of our immediate understanding. 

As new information becomes available and other information is re-assessed, our priorities are reverting for a time to their original intent. To continue to follow those other lines of argument exclusively in such a manner would only serve to direct our attention and efforts away from the pressing matters with which we began our investigations.

And so we shall be returning more directly - though not exclusively, be assured - to the historical matters, matters on the record that sustain our original contentions of under-regulation, lack of precautionary consideration and the profligate disregard by regulators of the central role that water plays for the members of all rural communities in Australia, be they farming or mining.