Save the Tarkine lodges appeal against flawed Riley Creek Mine approval

Save the Tarkine has lodged it’s appeal against the flawed and invalid approvals granted to Venture Minerals Riley Creek mine.

The approval by West Coast Council was subject to conditions set by the Tasmanian EPA, despite failing to meet the EPA’s assessment guidelines set out for this project.

This includes a failure to assess the cumulative impacts on the Tasmanian devil of the three Venture Minerals projects as specifically required in the EPA’s published guidelines* for the project assessment.

“Save the Tarkine will be asking the Resource management and Planning Appeals Tribunal to overturn this flawed and invalid approval,” said Save the Tarkine Campaign Coordinator, Scott Jordan.

“Short cuts are definitely not appropriate in mining, and the community should be very concerned when Government agencies begin to facilitate short cuts for mining companies”.

* from the EPA’s project specific assessment guidelines;

5.2 Cumulative Impacts
The DPEMP should consider the cumulative impacts on protected matters, of the proposal with other current or planned developments in the vicinity of the site (particularly the Livingstone DSO Hematite Project (EPBC 2012/6342) and the Mt Lindsay Tin-Tungsten-Magnetite-Copper Mine (EPBC 2011/6178)). Such impacts may include the potential increase of traffic between mine sites that will have a likely impact on Tasmanian Devils, Spotted-tailed Quolls and Wedge-tailed Eagles.
Tarkine National Coalition Campaign Coordinator, Scott Jordan