Save the Tarkine have welcomed today’s announcement by Venture Minerals that the Riley Creek strip mine in the Tarkine is uneconomic and will not proceed.
“We are certainly pleased that this damaging iron ore strip mine has been shelved, and urge Venture Minerals to add it’s Livingstone and Mt Lindsay mines to the dustbin. ”, said Save the Tarkine Campaign Coordinator, Scott Jordan.
“It is clear that this project never had a future. It was only planned as a two year mine project and yet one year after the initial Federal approval Venture are telling us that it is not financially viable. The fact here is that it never was.’
“It was a short term ‘grab it and run’ strip mine operation that was never going to be the saviour of north west Tasmania it was touted as.”
“False promises, false hope, and a lot of egg on the faces of those that facilitated this latest chapter in Tasmania’s legacy of environmental vandalism.”
“It is time for those who have politically supported this project to accept they have backed the wrong horse, and to refocus on the economic benefits through tourism and fine foods that will come from protecting the Tarkine wilderness brand”.
Scott Jordan, Campaign Coordinator, Save the Tarkine
