The Tarkine National Coalition has received a response from Minister Bryan Green to a formal request for a statement of reasons regarding the granting of Venture Minerals’ Livingstone mine lease at Stanley River.
The response has been described as insufficient, unsatisfactory and not in compliance with the details requested under the Judicial Review Act 2000.
“Minister Green is compounding his errors in first granting a lease that he was clearly unclear of even the location of, and now attempting to dodge having to present the reasons for that decision as required by law,” said Tarkine National Coalition Campaign Coordinator, Scott Jordan.
In May the Minister granted the mining lease in the Meredith Ranges Regional Reserve, and then told Budget Estimates that the lease was not in the reserve, and that it was scheduled for logging, despite it in fact being a buttongrass and heath site. The Minister also incorrectly stated that it was a one metre deep strip mine not the actually planned 150m deep open cut mine, clearly demonstrating that he had confused the Stanley River proposal with a yet to be sought mine lease 15km away at Riley Creek.
“TNC believes that failure to meet key requirements of the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995 means that the Stanley River mine lease is likely illegal and definitely invalid, and the Minister is attempting to avoid scrutiny of his failure in this matter”.
TNC’s legal representation has written to the Minister expressing dissatisfaction with the Minister’s response, and again requesting the statement of reasons as required under the Judicial Review Act 2000.
