29 August 2024
Topics: Plibersek’s chilling decision to block the Regis goldmine in regional NSW
E&OE
Peta Credlin:
Let’s go back though to the issue of the gold mine. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek still refusing to explain why she has blocked the $1 billion dollar Blayney gold mine, declining too to appear on a panel at the Daily Telegraph Bush Summit today. Well someone who did appear, Shadow Environment Minister Senator Jonno Duniam, replaced her and joins me now. Jonno, thank you for your time. She was a no show. Now I reckon that’s a shocking look when Ministers themselves won’t front up and explain their reasons.
Senator Duniam:
Under the Westminster conventions of responsible democracy Peta, of course she should have shown up. She’s made a decision that will change the future of that community forever that will disadvantage both indigenous and non-indigenous Australians for a very long time and she should have the guts to have shown up and said This is why I’ve made this decision. But the fact is, I don’t think the reasons she’s made decision on stack up and that’s why she’s not showing up. It’s a real, real let down for the whole community.
Peta Credlin:
The Regis Resources CEO, and you can see pictures there of a cardboard cutout of the Minister there today, Jim Beyer said The Minister’s decisions had sent them back to square one. Have a listen.
Jim Beyer, Regis Resources CEO:
It’s actually quite a difficult task for us now to find a new spot. We will look, we don’t give up, but it’s going to take us quite some time and as we noted at the time we were asked, we said look, we will have to go and look for it and it could take us five to ten years to find a new location.
Peta Credlin:
Capital can move, Jonno, that’s the real issue. I mean why spend another five or ten years going through all the processes here when the outcome with the Aboriginal community up there is just so difficult. Some for some against, and then this late appeal to the Minister. Why won’t they just move their money and take it somewhere else and get a gold mine going up somewhere else across the country, that’s the worry.
Senator Duniam:
Well it is the worry and it’s the message that’s been sent to so many potential investors across the globe that, Hey, you might comply with every one of our stringent environmental and planning approvals, but at the eleventh hour, we might wield this Section 10 Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act out and cut your project off at the knees. That’s what happened here, and even if they do go back to square one, this could happen again. They could do another five years of assessments and consultation and approvals, but frankly, why would you run the risk? So it was important today to note, of course that we had Chris Minns, Labor Premier against Tanya Plibersek. You had the community, the Mayor against Tanya Plibersek. You had the indigenous community or part of it at least against Tanya Plibersek. We can’t all be wrong. There is something wrong with her decision making here and I think she needs to reverse this decision in the interests of our economy, that community and the jobs they need.
Peta Credlin:
She did turn up to radio this afternoon. She copped a grilling. Have a listen.
Chris O’Keefe, 2GB:
Roy Ah-See, he’s a senior Wiradjuri leader and he said if the mine was not opposed by the Local Aboriginal Land Council that they should have been enough for the Minister to listen to the recognised Aboriginal party. You didn’t do that.
Tanya Plibersek:
Well, the Wiradjuri traditional owners Central West Aboriginal Corporation are a recognised party with standing.
Chris O’Keefe, 2GB:
Are you sure you haven’t been scammed here?
Tanya Plibersek:
I’m certain of my decision. I took it very seriously.
Peta Credlin:
Senator, what do you make of that?
Senator Duniam:
So certain of her decision, she can’t tell us why she made it. She won’t front up to Orange to tell the community why she made it and what she intends to do from here on in. And she has been scammed. This group, you’ve got Roy Ah-See, just mentioned, doesn’t really understand how they can reach this conclusion off the back of the information that’s been provided. He doesn’t know those who launched this application. The Orange Aboriginal Land Council, the ones that have legislative authority to speak on behalf of Country, said they were fine with the project and were worried that this group would hijack this process. She has made the wrong decision. She has allowed activists to take over the process here and I think it is a political decision. It’s one that has driven about harvesting green votes in inner city Sydney rather than doing the right thing by the community that need these jobs and frankly, if she’s not going to reverse her decision or indeed tell us why she made the decision, she may as well give up. She’s making bad decisions on behalf of the people that sent her to Canberra.
Peta Credlin:
It’s self-interest too, because the biggest attack on her seat is likely to come from the Greens. This is not about Australia’s national interest, this is about her own backside and her seat of Sydney in NSW. Thank you, Senator. We’ll catch up again.