Save Arkaroola Santuary from Uranium Mining

[mikethepike]

Your support is urgently needed!

Its time to act to keep uranium mining out of Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary in the Northern Flinders Ranges and I post this here because, like Gunns proposed pulp mill, I believe that it is a matter of national and not just of state interest.
The Government is currently calling for submissions re its position document ‘Seeking a Balance: Conservation and resource use in the Northern Flinders Ranges’ downloadable at:

http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/ ... 11_WEB.pdf

and these must be received by Friday 19 December.

This is important because in the past couple of years, Marathon Resources has been drilling test holes near Mt Gee ‘the Crystal Mountain’ and not far from the Armchair, a favourite destination for (lazy?) bushwalkers. That was stopped when the company was found to have illegally dumped waste on site and was ordered to clean it up. Unless the Government can be persuaded otherwise by our opposition, it is virtually certain that Marathon will be given approval to recommence operations and it will then only be a matter of time before commercial mining is approved. And this doesn’t rule out other mining companies moving into the Sanctuary. This is our last chance to protest!

The issue is not just about loss of access and damage to the landscape and environment, and pollution, it is also about a real risk of damage to the underground table and water quality. And it’s an insult to the Sprigg family who purchased Arkaroola and turned it into the world renowned landscape and tourist destination that it is today. It’s ironic that co- founder the late Reg Sprigg (of Ediacara fossil fame and now Ediacara Era in the Geological Time Scale) was one of this country’s top exploration geologists and he would be disgusted at what is happening at Arkaroola.

South Australia already has two enormous uranium mines in Olympic Dam and Beverley and a third is soon to open at Honeymoon and more may also eventually come into production in areas not as unique as Arkaroola. There is simply no need to be mining in Arkaroola Sanctuary!

Submission close on Friday 19 December and after that, it will be too late.

Send your submission to
Mr Jason Irving
Manager Policy and Planning Department for Environment and Heritage
GPO Box 1047
ADELAIDE SA 5001
jason.irving@sa.gov.au

or

Dr Ted Tyne
Director, Mineral Resources Primary Industries and Resources SA
GPO Box 1671
ADELAIDE SA 5001
ted.tyne@sa.gov.au

Arkaroola would also greatly appreciate it if you could also email them a copy at admin@arkaroola.com.au. They are having a tough time over this issue and greatly appreciate your support.
Thanks very much for your anticipated support and thanks to this wonderful Forum that allows this issue to get more support.