Antinuclear

South Australian govt’s unseemly haste to push for uranium mine expansion

Concerns have been raised that the State Government will ram through approval of the $20 billion project on the same day the latest environmental impact statement is released – leaving no room for public consultation.

Concern at pace of mine approval | Adelaide Now, Russell Emerson May 08, 2011 THE latest version of the Olympic Dam expansion is likely to be released publicly on Thursday or Friday.Concerns have been raised that the State Government will ram through approval of the $20 billion project on the same day the latest environmental impact statement is released – leaving no room for public consultation.Greens MP Mark Parnell fears the public will have no chance to comment on what is expected to become the world’s largest open-cut mine, if approved by BHP Billiton and the Government.

He said the State Government had a track record of approving projects on the same day supplementary environmental impact statements were released.

“Members should look no further than the Port Stanvac desalination plant and the Buckland Park development to see that the Government often releases these important documents at the same time it announces its approval, thereby making any further comment or feedback redundant,” Mr Parnell told Parliament….Concern at pace of mine approval | Adelaide Now

May 9, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, South Australia | South Australia