Western Australia’s peak environmental group has applauded Environment Minister Bill Marmion’s decision to uphold the advice of the Environmental Protection Authority on the proposed Vasse coal mine near Margaret River.
The decision follows the Minister’s rejection of another proposed coal mine south of Eneabba in the state’s Central-West.
Conservation Council of WA Director Piers Verstegen said, “The Conservation Council commends Minister Marmion for rejecting two incredibly destructive coal mining proposals near Margaret River and Eneabba.
“These decisions will be strongly supported by the thousands of ordinary West Australians who do not want to see coal mining damaging our groundwater and contributing to global carbon pollution and climate change.
“The Minister’s welcome decisions will build confidence in the WA community that the Barnett Government is capable of listening to Western Australians and striking an appropriate balance between mining and protection of the environment.
“People in Margaret River have worked hard to protect their region from the impacts of coal mining and gas fracking.
“We call on the State Government to bring forward a proposal to provide permanent legislative protection against coal mining and gas fracking for whole the Capes region.”
“The decision to reject coal mining in Margaret River sees a dark cloud lifted from over the Margaret River community, however with other mining proposals in the pipeline, legislation is urgently required to restore confidence in the high-quality food production and tourism industries that the region is famous for.
“Minister Marmon’s decisions will give other similar communities confidence that damaging, polluting and unwanted projects proposed by big mining companies can be defeated through community action.
“With new coal mines proposed in the Kimberley and near Esperance, the Minister’s decisions should sound a warning to other coal and gas fracking proponents, and their investors, that they should not assume their projects will be approved in WA.
“Wherever polluting industries like coal mining or gas fracking are proposed in WA, they will face increasingly tough opposition from environment groups, local communities and ordinary Western Australians.”
For further comment
Piers Verstegen – 0411 557 892
