Mining industry launches ‘anti-fear’ campaign to tackle ‘misleading claims made by extremists’
Minerals Council: just 0.1% of NSW land is used for mining
The mining industry in NSW has launched a campaign to defend itself against social and environmental activists.
The animated ‘Land use facts’ ads – created by Banjo Advertising – are part of the mining industry’s “response to misleading claims constantly made by activists and extremists who are using fear rather than facts to further their anti-mining agenda,” the NSW Minerals Council said in a statement.
The ads ran on television last night and are being hosted on the website Landusefacts.com.
The Council’s CEO Stephen Galilee claims that the state gets a good economic return on the land used by mining.
He said: “From the amount of attention given to mining you could be forgiven for thinking that mines are engulfing NSW, but the reality is mining operations account for around 0.1% of the state’s land.”
“That compares with 76% for agriculture, 7.6% for conservation and national parks and 1.8 % for homes and urban development. And the land used for mining must be rehabilitated.”
Those facts wouldn’t be misleading if ALL mining used exactly the same amount of land beneath the top metre of soil (which is all you own dear friends) as they used on the surface of the land.
Ever driven up towards Newcastle and seen those signs around Catherine Hill Bay warning of road subsidence due to mining activity ? And I’ve never seen a mine on that stretch of road yet.
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This is and will be seen as a clumsy attempt at distraction. The problem for mining’s reputation on the eastern seaboard isn’t land. It’s water.
Talking about land will only further reinforce the legitimate concern among residents, farmers, Greenies and equestrians that we just don’t know enough about the impact of coal mining and CSG extraction on ground water quality and availability.
The industry’s first strategy was to say there are studies which prove it’s safe,and then not release any such studies.
Then it was blackmail – “If you don’t let use extract CSG your gas bills will go up”.
Now it’s “Hey! Look over there!”
The fact that miners haven’t sat down with local people, asked questions, listened, answered questions, and commissioned the studies people want to see, only adds to the skepticism and renders this advertising campaign a waste of money.
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Land usage is one small component of the costs of mining. There are bigger issues including; Ground water contamination, water usage(washing coal) and dust particulate(which is causing a high rate of respiratory disease in the hunter).
The land is not rehabilitated, they just fill in some soil and plant some trees. Open cut mines literally scar the earth and destroy eco systems.
Mining only employs something like 4% of Australians. Mining is a short term economic gain with a long term cost. Do not cut these guys any slack. There is more promise in renewable energy.
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Banjo better watch out, those ‘environmental’ organisations are worse than the Mafia. They’ll blackmail, threaten suppliers and generally give businesses that assist mining and forestry companies until they’re bled dry. They are evil personified.
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let’s stop mining and all forms of industrial activity immediately
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