BBF Urges Halt to Tailings Dam Road

Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 8 June 2021

Stop the Clock on Tarkine destruction

Bob Brown Foundation is urging Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley and Premier Gutwein to Stop the Clock on Tarkine destruction. As two more protesters this morning have attached themselves to machines, halting the ongoing roading for a proposed heavy metals tailings dam.

Ellen Maddock and Lily Reed, both 18 are today defending takayna/Tarkine because, “We want to be able to come back in 50 years and see it the way it is now, intact ancient rainforests.”

“Today was the day that Minister Sussan Ley absconded from her environmental protection duties to protect nationally listed species and a world heritage value takayna. Today was the day the Federal Environment Minister could have announced MMGs proposed acidic heavy metals tailings dam as ‘clearly unacceptable.’

Instead Ley ‘stopped the clock’ on the assessment process and gave the company and her department more time,” Bob Brown Foundation Campaign Manager Jenny Weber said.

“Minister Ley has got it wrong, it’s the mining attack on takayna/Tarkine that needs to be halted. While we have a delayed decision on MMGs application to destroy 285hectares of wilderness, they can continue with their destructive works to carry out roading and drilling. Our 22 day long campaign has been disrupting this ongoing destruction,” Jenny Weber said.

“A mining attack on takayna/Tarkine is rolling out in Australia’s forgotten wilderness. Only forgotten by the failing state and federal governments as our Foundation has been calling for protection for seven years. Drilling for mining at Mt Lindsay and mining at Riley creek by Venture Minerals and now this new proposed monster dam by Chinese state owned MMG means the clock is ticking for takayna. Governments failing to protect World Heritage value rainforests and endangered species habitat will be met by our unrelenting campaign to defend takayna,” Jenny Weber said.