By Jane Beckmann
NEWCASTLE — The Tomago Sandbeds Action Group (TSAG) is fighting to stop the mining company RZM from destroying old growth forests, threatening endangered species and polluting the aquifer at Tomago. It set up a blockade on May 10 to try to preserve the threatened areas until a court case scheduled for July 22. The blockade ended on May 14 after several arrests.
Anthony Too and Cathy Burgess explained to Green Left Weekly that the recent blockade is the third organised by TSAG. It has six court cases currently running and has been holding information stalls, lobbying politicians, researching information for reports and networking with other groups.
Last November TSAG took RZM to court under the Environmental Assessment Act of 1979. The judge ruled that the RZM development consent was not valid, invalidating its development licence and its section 121 licence to take and kill endangered species.
Within a few weeks, NSW Premier Bob Carr had amended the Environment Protection Act to allow RZM to continue to clear old growth forests, mine the sand and pollute the aquifer.
In addition, the Threatened Species Conservation Act was passed, allowing companies to kill and take endangered species during the course of their developments without obtaining a section 121 licence.
TSAG is currently seeking an interlocutory injunction until the July hearing; RZM is intent on clearing as much land as it can, thereby allowing it to claim that the land has already been destroyed. By the end of the blockade, RZM had cleared around 12 hectares.
The blockaders arrested were charged under the Watch and Beset Act, which was originally passed to be used against striking workers and has recently been resurrected for use against environmentalists.
One of TSAG's major concerns is pollution of the aquifer. Tomago sand beds is the third major water source for the lower Hunter area, after Chichester Dam and Grahamstown Dam. The Hunter Water Board (HWB) classifies Tomago sand beds as an A1 water reserve and a protected area.
RZM has been mining at a depth of 6-8 metres at Tomago since the 1970s, but it is only in recent years that it has had the technology to mine to 18 metres. A huge dredge sucks up sand, extracts the minerals and spews the remainder back into the pond formed by the aquifer. This process oxidises the minerals and has made the water unfit to drink due to high levels of iron.
A number of the HWB pumping stations at Tomago have had to be closed because the water is unusable due to iron contamination.
As well, the minister for land and environment, Kim Yeadon, recently sent letters to 800 local residents, many of whom draw untreated water from the area, saying it was dangerous to use the water from Tomago sand beds due to rising levels of arsenic.
Wildlife in the area has been devastated by the habitat fragmentation caused by the mining and the stress of a huge, noisy, 24-hour dredge operation under harsh floodlights.
RZM, a wholly owned Japanese multinational, mines the sand beds at Tomago for rutilin. World market prices are currently high because the world's largest mine, in Africa, is disrupted by a civil war. Despite making $90 million a year from Tomago mining, the company pays low wages; a bulldozer driver with long service in the company gets $12 an hour.
RZM plans to bring on line soon another plant at Clybucka, an area that is far less environmentally sensitive. TSAG is keen for this plant to begin operation so it can provide the Tomago RZM workers with jobs. Most of the jobs associated with rutilin mining are in the processing plant, which could be kept going with supplies from Clybucka.
RZM has threatened to sue any media outlet which gives information about pollution of the aquifer. To date, none of the establishment media have dared to do so. RZM claims that it is not causing any pollution, yet has recently applied to the Environment Protection Authority for a pollution control licence.
The campaign needs support. TSAG is appealing for donations and is encouraging supporters to write to Premier Bob Carr, other ministers and Greens parliamentarian Ian Cohen. Donations can be sent to TSAG, /- 90 Hunter St, Newcastle 2300. For further information contact Cathy Burgess on (049) 294 395 or 014 633 552.