Miner launches ads against mining ban PDF Print E-mail
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Thursday, 24 March 2011 10:49

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A North Stradbroke Island miner that will shut down its major mine eight years earlier than promised is taking its fight to the mass media.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh announced on Tuesday Sibelco's Enterprise mine, which accounts for 60 per cent of sand production on the island, would be forced to cease operation in 2019 instead of 2027 as promised only last year.

The decision means 94 per cent of mining on the island will end by 2019.

Sibelco owns the island's three mines.

The Yarraman mine will close as planned in 2015 and the small silica mine, Vance, will wrap up in 2025, also as planned.

All mining on the island will now be banned from 2025 and 80 per cent of the island would become national park by 2027 under a push towards tourism.

But Sibelco is not going down without a fight.

It will launch a full-page advertisement in a statewide newspaper and ads on three commercial television networks on Thursday.

Sibelco spokesman Paul Smith said Enterprise had a lease to mine until 2027 and the state government decision was unprecedented and put all mining in the state at risk.

"The public is fairly removed from our little island in the sun but this affects all of Queensland as it is a deliberate attempt to remove the sovereign rights of a mining company or in fact anyone who owns a lease," Mr Smith told AAP.

"This is saying that you can no longer be guaranteed a renewal of lease and you can no longer be guaranteed - if you have an existing lease - that you are allowed to conduct your business on there."

The Queensland Resources Council agrees.

In a statement it said: "selling Queensland as a destination for mineral exploration investment just became harder in the light of this week's legislation cancelling leases on North Stradbroke Island".

Mr Smith said 650 jobs at the company's three mines on the island could be put at risk.

"The premier of Queensland has reneged and broken her promise for the gradual phase out of mining and is now threatening the very viability of our business and the community that we work in," Mr Smith said.

"The very viability of our operations even today is in question."

Resources Minister Stirling Hinchcliffe was contacted for comment.
AAP



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