A WEST TARMAR councillor has cast doubt on whether the Beaconsfield mine is entirely responsible for seismic activity in the town.

Joy Allan, who lives in Beaconsfield, claimed most homes in the town had cracks in them, including her own.

“Many houses on the hill behind the town suffered from cracked walls long before the mine was reopened. Behind that hill there is a large quarry and it’s possible they are to blame, I know that many of those homes were quickly repaired and sold.”

Ms Allan made the statement following a heated council meeting on Tuesday where a motion was passed stating that the group acted appropriately when dealing with the mine. However she was dismissive of other councillors’ claims that it was decided to conceal the tremor induced damage at a closed meeting held in February.

“Someone did say, ‘I hope this doesn’t affect house prices’, but it was just an idle comment.”

The Beaconsfield mine employed a firm of structural engineers to examine damaged homes and report back to them earlier this year.

Mike Lester, who is handling media enquiries for the mine, said he didn’t know how many homes had been looked at or what the end outcome would be. “I do know that some of the damage wasn’t the result of mining activity but due to natural shrinkage. I am only new to this, and that question hasn’t come up before now. I don’t have an answer for you.”

Crikey has been informed that the engineering firm visited 22 homes and found that nine of them weren’t damaged because of mining activities.

Ms Allan confirmed that the firm had visited her home and found the damage to be related to mining. “They, the mine, sent me a report on the 12th of January confirming the findings and that the mine would pay for the necessary repair work. They haven’t given me a timeframe for when that work will be undertaken,” Ms Allan concluded.

Reports Crikey: There are lots of houses for sale in Beaconsfield, where most homes have cracks in them according to West Tamar councillor Joy Allan.

Realestate.com.au has 23 listed, including a “solid” two-storey, three-bedroom house with a large garden and views over the town for $285,000 (negotiable) and a “character cottage” with a tidy yard for around $120,000.

And on the very day Brant and Todd emerged from underground someone snapped up a “well-priced” brick residence in Clifford Street.