The White Rock Quarry expansion threatens our environment and community health. The Greens stand with the community in opposing this expansion, and will do everything we can to ensure the Minister for Mining and Energy and the Minister for Environment and Water heed the concerns of the residents in the Adelaide Hills, and reject this revised private mine operation.
The Greens moved a motion calling on the Government to reject the expansion plans and back minimum distance requirements for private mines, and also introduced a Private Members Bill to amend the Mining Act to improve community consultation and ensure consideration of the environmental and health factors associated with private mines.
On 23 September 2020, Hanson Heidelberg Cement Group submitted a revised mine operation plan for the expansion of the White Rock Quarry, and this has been met with significant community opposition. There are concerns relating to community health, the environment and the air quality of the surrounding areas, and the Greens are calling on the government to reject this mine operation plan and instead back the community campaign for minimum distance requirements for private mines.
Private mines antiquated, they are an old-fashioned scheme, they have different legal protections to other mines in South Australia, and most residents would be alarmed by the idea that you could have a private mine pushing up into their landscape, devouring their landscape, and destroying their amenity.
It is high time that this parliament took a strong stance against vested interests, stood up to these large corporations that are devouring our landscape and said, 'Enough is enough. Back off, move away from private residences,' and put the community's health and wellbeing first and put our environment first at this time of climate crisis.
