Tarkine mining

[stepbystep]

*sigh*

Hope some of you re-read this in 20 years time...

[Nuts]

Lets hope proposed mines don't effect the Devil population drastically in themselves. Even if, say, the impact is exaggerated, somehow confined to one 'marketable' species- there's nothing good about continuing to modify rare habitat.

There's nothing good (in a democratic sense) comes from sudden enforced change, chips from China, rainforest timbers from other economies.. Maybe it is that there's just too damn many of us, some will have to go!! Ok, well, Obviously holding locals to ransom/ short of blaming them for being dumber, eating maccas, using raw materials, being narrow minded in not accepting the dole till the tourism economy kicks in... it doesn't bring the desired outcome, doesn't force the desired change any quicker, nothing smart about that.

Lets hope in 20yrs what is left that is wild or just 'natural' has a clear, measured, (unfortunately) popular direction for being saved. As a whole, in communal decisions, not just scenic or cute stuff here and there championed by ungrounded dreamers. Conservation mainstream, not fumbling around divided..

'Everybody get together try to love one another'... all that..

-Oh, and iv'e seen Corvus, like with my own eyes, out engaged in (hands on) conservation projects, not much as it may seem in this world is it

[greyim]

"environment impact"....And the resources you are using to post with comes from????

[stepbystep]

"environment impact"....And the resources you are using to post with comes from????

A pissant iron ore mine in the Tarkine obviously....duh!

[Nuts]

Oh.. *&^%$#!..ant.. as in 'small-ant'- right!! I was thinking that sounded familiar, rather than a term i should google
Yeah, its not much is it, doesn't take much eh?

[ILUVSWTAS]

Just climb mt Zeehan and you'll see what damage "small mines" do to areas. It's *&%$#! ugly and everything nearby is dead.

[stepbystep]

You know how when a tiny little insect bites it can hurt like hell? Get it?
Shree, Venture, roll up, roll up.

Nevermind, there will be a boom for the local pub for a couple of years. Wasn't someone talking about heads up orifices a few posts back?

[flyfisher]

Corvus its all about you and your money isnt it..You retired lot are the worst rednecks I have ever come across in Tassie..

Not a very friendly comment. Would get others suspended.

[Hallu]

Evidently you missed Corvus' original insult that brought RichB to say this.

[flyfisher]

No I didn't actually.

[Ent]

It is good to see some development at long last. Maybe, one day we might actually see "new" industries replacing old ones for people employed rather than the massive loss of jobs from the NW Coast but as usual those that do not live in the area complain the longest and loudest.

Maybe we can build government sponsored third rate submarines but until then will have to make do.

[flyfisher]

The impact of this mine could hardly compare with the Pieman scheme, the Gordon scheme, even lake Rowallen. All thing that humans do to provide the comforts of our lifestyle will in some way cause an impact on the environment. Some folk find much interest in visiting old minesites , old deserted farms etc, etc. Aborigional carvings such as West point, or cave paintings would be seen by many as vandalism if done now instead of many years ago. If all things which are somewhat extractive were to stop in Tasmania, who would pick up the tab for social security for the unemployed. All would be good in a perfect world but that's not the world is and although we try to protect, there is a need for many things which cannot be procured without some cost. But NIMBY I hear you say. All about self.

[Hallu]

1) The iron extracted here isn't going to help the comfort of any Aussie home
2) Comparing an open cut mine to aboriginal art is absolutely revolting
3) Please let's stop that myth that all primary industry pay for the unemployed. By that logic, the tourism industry and agriculture do as well. But mostly it's all the money going to the government, including taxes and subventions from the fed gov. I wish people would stop talking about Tasmania as if it were a part of the world in complete economical crisis... This is just a region of Australia where unemployment happens to be higher than the other states. And it is only about 10%, and as said many times before you can still find jobs elsewhere. So if to keep Tasmania wild and beautiful, you have to work elsewhere but still in your own country, I think that's a small and worthwhile price to pay when you consider how important this natural environment is.

The long term salvation for the Tarkine region would be tourism. Mines would be helpful if done on a large scale, which is never gonna be the case. So instead of putting one here and there, and taking half assed decision just to try and appease most people, just take a strong directive...

[flyfisher]

Yes I suppose it would be good if we all moved out and left it to to people from elsewhere to visit. Not going to happen though so they will just have to be happy with the little bit we don't destroy.

[stepbystep]

Couple of points;

The Great Barrier Reef is just as much yours, Ent and Flyfisher as The Tarkine belongs to a bloke from Melbourne. Enough of the jingoism, it really is unbecoming and count your blessings you can visit it so easily.
Corvus has had more to say on this topic than most and by his own admission hasn't been there for 30 years...

These mines, and there will be plenty, will produce very little raw material, temporary jobs that will have a minor economic boom but innevitable BUST and cause damage that will last for generations or forever.
The attitudes here are astounding, call yourselves proud Tasmanians? What a *&%$#! joke.

[Clusterpod]

but as usual those that do not live in the area complain the longest and loudest.

Oh, you live in the area?

Could you please pop out and get us some photographs of what it looks like now? I won't be able to get there till January, and I'd like to have something for posterity.

Seriously though, you can get your back up about being a Taswegian and therefore have more right to voice an opinion, but we are a nation, a federation of states.

I don't vote for your local, state and federal political representatives, but who I do vote for influences what happens across the whole country. Its a democracy.

Its my democratic duty to voice an opinion about what happens in my country, just as I pay federal taxes which may find their way into your state.

Please consider that those who complain longest and loudest, may have a valid point beyond what can be argued short, and quietly.

"Yes please business as usual because its working so well so far", is an opinion that doesn't need much traction, as its the default.

"Hey, wait a minute, lets consider that based upon all available evidence, an open-cut, iron ore mine poses all kinds of environmental, political, economic and social problems that are not being satisfactorily considered" is something that has to be a little louder.

And obviously it needs to be repeated, as its being ignored.

[razor]

I'm amazed that with the current iron ore price ($130 a tonne) that it is even remotely viable?

[flyfisher]

Obviously you think that anyone who won't be shouted down and doesn't agree with you both is an idiot.

We shall therefore have to agree to disagree as I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill.

[stepbystep]

Not sure who is shouting ff???

I'd be interested if you, corv, ent, st hughes(oh wait aren't you all mates?) actually addressed the big picture issues here. Not one of you seems to have an argument based on the potential of open slather mining ops in this area over time. What's with that?

In 5 days I celebrate 8 years on this island and have a great affinity with many areas I have spent time in it's landscape. The Tarkine being one of them, by all means lets agree to disagree, but if you want to make a contribution at least make a go of it.

[Ent]

Clusterpod

I am a born an breed Tasmania currently in the NW Coast in my house. Your comments are rather typical of people that are happy to consign other people to a lower standard of living. Apart from zoos I doubt if any devils live in Hobart CBD. We have large areas where nature is destroyed so you can live the life you want.

Every industry I have experienced first hand has had protestors and end of the world doomsayers trying to stop it. I thought when wind farms were been built good news would come but no the protests and complaints came.

For years we fought Hobart and Canberra for lower speed limits on remote gravel roads and were told no as national standards had to be adhered to. Then we sealed one and Canberra imposed a speed limit to protect wildlife. Sorry all I see is meddling by remote and distance people seeking to justify their destruction of their environment by "saving" someone else's.

Take mining out of Australia's economy and count the cost. I suppose we could slash health, education and the arts to plug the hole or stick our heads in the sand and become like Greece.

It always amazed me that a Hobart based body demanded to save the environment that water meters and water usage charges for rural councils yet Hobart was the last to do this by decades. Melbourne is engaged in a massive environmental impost with its water plans and Brisbane was happy to kill of a rare animal and ride roughshod over rural people than actually practice water conservation and reuse.

So yes shout down the locals and when they turn up as economic refugees and ship them to some remote island as this is a city persons stock in trade. Never allow a Tasmanian a chance of improving their lot.

[stepbystep]

Ent, Devonport isn't The Tarkine, it isn't even close. Get off your high horse and address the issues.

[photohiker]

Devonport isn't the NW coast either, is it? On my map, it'd rate as the north coast...

[Strider]

Devonport isn't the NW coast either, is it? On my map, it'd rate as the north coast...

Devonport is on the NW coast.

[Strider]

Zoo in Hobart? Not since 1936!

[gorby]

I seek out and visit old mine sites in Tasmania and the majority of them have never been rehabilitated at the time of them being closed and find that nature has done a great job of restoring them, it has probably taken 100 odd years to do it but some of them are only evident by the original shaft or tailings rubble .
When these new mines are set up, they have to guarantee that the funds are there to rehabilitate the area back to an acceptable level.
In percentage terms the area associated with the mines would not be very much compared to all the Arthur pieman area.
The existing road network (that serves the proposed tourist influx) if calculated into square kilometres would exceed by far the mine sites.

[stepbystep]

Hey Gorby, how many of those 100 yo old mine sites are modern open cut? I'd guess zero...
C'mon let's play real people, you're comparing apples with aeroplanes.

The roads already exist, the mines don't, how does that comparison come even close to being relevant?

[flyfisher]

There are plenty of areas such as Adamsfield, Derby-Branxholm, Blue lakes etc that were aluvial mines, and caused damage to areas on a larger scale than most open cuts. They used water pressure because they didn't have the machinery available today. Yes, they caused pollution, such as Ringarooma river or Abberfoyle creek and the South Esk river.
These areas bring many tourists to see the remnants of the tin chase. Adamsfield is an eyesore or a tourist area depending on your point of view.
In years to come people will see the remnants of mt Lyall or Savage river or Zeehan the same way. Different people are interested in different things. Boring world if it wasn't so.
More a threat to the environment is the large scale daming of rivers and creeks and the pesticides used on crops. Haven't heard your take on that.

[Nuts]

Corvus its all about you and your money isnt it..You retired lot are the worst rednecks I have ever come across in Tassie..

Not a very friendly comment. Would get others suspended.

Just to say FF, there are a couple of edits and.. last time I looked, at least one report pending from earlier in this topic.

[theMISSIONARY]

There are plenty of areas such as Adamsfield, Derby-Branxholm, Blue lakes etc that were aluvial mines, and caused damage to areas on a larger scale than most open cuts. They used water pressure because they didn't have the machinery available today. Yes, they caused pollution, such as Ringarooma river or Abberfoyle creek and the South Esk river.
These areas bring many tourists to see the remnants of the tin chase. Adamsfield is an eyesore or a tourist area depending on your point of view.
In years to come people will see the remnants of mt Lyall or Savage river or Zeehan the same way. Different people are interested in different things. Boring world if it wasn't so.
More a threat to the environment is the large scale daming of rivers and creeks and the pesticides used on crops. Haven't heard your take on that.

they look some what like this today...interesting especially when you see the old photos when it was being mined

Garibaldi

If we weren't trying to find the Chinese ovens(no GPS ) we wouldn't have even known any of this was there


Blue lakes


the worst area i could find between blue lake and pioneer was this "run off" area


the "Lake" at pioneer.....looked some what different years ago


the fact is some of us like going to old mining areas and mines

however this new mine as it has been pointed out will be a modern mine so it will have a smaller impact through using modern techniques to get the ore out and i would not be surprised if they have to rehabilitate the mine back to what it is now to an extent.
the Devils are the only issue i see being a problem i love the little forest vacuums

as for it being the Tarkine...PFFT!!! its miles away

[Hallu]

There's a side you still don't reply too. Your argument is that the mine won't cause much to the environment. But you're never replying about the fact that this is a mine that will hardly create any long term positive effect to Tasmanian economy. I've seen countless people explaining why the mine shouldn't be constructed, and all the pro-mine are replying is that these argument aren't valid enough, while they don't provide any about the fact that this mine is useless. This mine does nothing else than poach the environment, all for the sake of a big Indian conglomerate, will be there for only a couple of years, with yet long lasting environmental effects, and yet none of you is here to explain why it should be there in the first place. All you keep saying is that you disagree that it will damage the environment.