A new mine on Tasmania’s west coast is being hailed as a model for low-impact mining in a sensitive environment but environmentalists remain sceptical.
MMG’s South Hercules mine on Mt Hamilton is near the Tarkine wilderness, Australia’s largest temperate rainforest.
The mine will mainly produce gold and silver.
MMG spokesman Miles Naude says the open-cut operation is designed to be low impact.
“By ensuring that we don’t go double highways like you might see in other mining areas, by ensuring that we look after the environment and look after the rare species that we have on the mountain.”
As well as single lane roads, a water treatment plant neutralises acid mine water before it is discharged into Bakers Creek.
West Coast mayor Darryl Gerrity, says the company is looking after the mountain’s rare alpine plant species.
“It’s a showpiece for the mining industry on how it can co-exist with nature.”
“MMG are to be commended on it because mining now is not like the King River.
“We’re not going to have those legacies in the future because they’re conscious and aware that they have an image to project,” he said.
MMG is also looking at remediating the nearby Hercules mine which is about a century old.
“One of those opportunities we’re looking at is re-mining it and making sure we go and change what currently is a legacy,” Mr Naude said.
Opponents of mining in the Tarkine are not so sure about environmental claims and say history speaks for itself.
Scott Jordan from the Tarkine National Coalition says no mine is sustainable, especially in the wilderness area.
He points to the former Cleveland tin mine about an hour’s drive from the Mount Hamilton mine.
The mine closed in 1986.
He says acid mine drainage flows into the Whyte River where it is claimed there is no aquatic life for six kilometres.
“I think this is a disaster.”
“What we’ve seen here is in an attempt to try and make it look pretty and look like they’ve done a rehabilitation on the area,” he said.
“They’ve planted trees over the top of the tailings dam which has breached the clay capping.”
A new company is looking at re-mining the tailings dam and improving what is left behind.
There are about 50 exploration licences in the Tarkine region.
