Decanter World Wine AwardsStalemate in Margaret River battle against miners
- Thursday 20 October 2011
The Margaret River coastline. Image: Cullen Wines
An appeal was started this year by Save our Southwest, a coalition formed by the Margaret River agricultural community, which is seeking an injunction to stop the Perth-based company Western Coal mining in the area.
Western Coal failed to attend an administrative court hearing scheduled for 29 September.
‘This demonstrates the overseas developers have no connection or empathy to the place and couldn't give a damn about anything but their money’, Vanya Cullen of Cullen Wines told Decanter.com.
However, this does not automatically mean victory for the anti-mining coalition.
A report will now be sent to the Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum, which will decide to either grant or refuse the application.
It is understood that any precedents, such as the recent Environmental Protection Agency’s refusal to grant Vasse Coal an exploration licence, are not taken into account.
‘We now have to recruit the services of technical people – no mention of the community expense in so doing – and start again as if Vasse Coal, nor its lack of social licence, nor its EPA rejection, doesn’t exist’, said Brent Watson, local resident and opponent of Western Coal's plans.
The next court session is now scheduled for 1 March 2012.
Have your say!
Rob In Margs
October 25 02:44
For those that don't know Bob, he is the Principle Policy Advisor to Norman Moore, Minister for Mines, WA.
He has been doing great work clarifying facts and providing genuine information to the local community.
While grateful to Bob for his faithful engagement with community concerns, we are not so trusting of his Boss, who has had from the very start the power under "public interest" provisions of the Mining Act 1978 to knock this proposal on its head, who also insists on stigmatising an entire community at every opportunity. Mr Moore is a great champion of the resources sector, however is severely blinkered when it comes to the impacts of the resources sector on our regional communities.
Bob Stevens
October 21 04:20
It is unfortunate that this article contains a number of inaccuracies. Western Coal is PERTH based, it has NO relationship at all with Canada. A "report" will NOT now be sent to the Department of Mines and Petroleum, simply because the company's application has not yet been formally heard in Court by the Warden who, only after that hearing has been completed, will make his recommendation to the Minister as to whether the application should be granted or refused. Finally, in deciding the ultimate fate of this application, the Minister is free in his discretion to take into careful account any relevant information, inlcuding the EPA's recommendation against the nearby Vasse Coal Mining project.