General News
17 February, 2025
Wimmera landowners join ranks in fight against losing farms to mines
Cr Ross promises communication between the council and MFWF
Growing concern by members of smaller communities in the Wimmera about proposed mining in the region and an apology from the Horsham Rural City Council mayor, were heard at the Mine Free Wimmera Farms Inc. meeting on Tuesday, February 11, at the RSL Clubrooms.
The meeting was conducted by President Dean Johns, with Russell Heard Secretary and Donna Johns, media officer.
Horsham Rural City Council elected members councillors Ian Ross, Angela Munn, Brian Klowss Rebecca Sluggett and Cameron McDonald attended.
Cr Ross apologised to the MFWF members for the lack of communication by the former HRCC and guaranteed a more open and transparent relationship between the two entities.
Andrew Barnes from the tiny community of Jung presented a hand-painted banner about the proposed WIM Resource Pty Ltd Avonbank MIne at Dooen,15 kilometres north of Horsham.
The MFWF concerns are about the proposed Avonbank Mine which has an expected footprint of 3640 hectares and a life span of almost 40 years.
Mr Barnes designed the banner, and his sister, Judith Blythe from Perth, painted it.
She was awarded an Order of Australia in 2024 for her work in environmental protection, including mining.
He asked the members for permission to display it at the Wimmera Machinery Field Days.
The members agreed to his request.
"I live at Drung with my wife. It is quiet and peaceful, and I don't want the mine to go ahead because I will be forced to move if it does," he said.
"The mine will operate 24-7, and we couldn't live there under those circumstances of dust and noise."
The members agreed to combine the smaller groups protesting renewables and mining on farmland, so their voices would be louder and their actions would have more impact.
They discussed charging membership fees to enable the group to become financial for legal and advertising costs.
Special guest speaker Janet Walk travelled from Mudgee to address the meeting and describe how the successful campaign by the Mudgee Region Action Group stopped a coal mine that had been planned for the region.
She outlined the plan used by the Mudgee Group as a template for the MFWF group to prevent the Avonbank Mine from going ahead.
"Do not expect help; no one is coming," she said.
"You have to do this yourself."
Victoria's planning minister Sonya Kilkenny approved the Environmental Effects study for the Avonbank Mine on December 10, 2024, but Ms Walk told the meeting not to be discouraged by that.
Research Director Economist Rod Campbell joined the meeting by video link.
After more than a decade of examining mining modelling, he said the practices in Australia were still questionable.
"This approach continues because the government has set no standards for this industry regarding economic assessment," he said.
He said the Australian community was under the impression that the mining industry was significant in the country. He said according to his research, it was a relatively small part of the overall economy.
"Mining helps some small towns, but it is not a major economic platform for Australia as a nation," he said.
He questioned the financial viability of the Avonbank Mine as the input/output modelling did not show any economic assessment or prices of the commodities.
He said the Avonbank modelling would not be accepted in Queensland or Western Australia, where legislation requires more detail and has more scope for the landowners to object to relinquishing their land.
He said, in his opinion, the economic modelling for the Avonbank Mine was shaky.
"I am not against mining, but I am against BS," he said.
Cr Sluggett said she attended because it was important to her to have a balance of information about the future of mining in the area, and she wanted to understand the landowner's concerns.
President of the Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association Ross Johns and Andrew Weidermann, a spokesperson for Farmers Fighting Renewables, Energy and Mining, were guest speakers.