BHP Billiton’s open cut Olympic Dam copper/uranium project to be shelved indefinitely?
BHP (NYSE:BHP) Reports It Will Make Tighter Worldwide Copper Supply- USA Election News, 9 July 12 By: Jessica Honsinger BHP Billiton Limited (NYSE:BHP) reported on Friday that it will make tighter worldwide copper supply from late 2013 onward if it delays work on its single-biggest project, the $30 billion growth of the Olympic Dam mine in Australia.
A 25% decrease in benchmark international copper prices since early on 2011 has eroded possible returns from the project, and the economic delay in top base metal consumer China has dampened the demand
viewpoint. BHP’s system to quadruple output from Olympic Dam the fourth-biggest known copper deposit and biggest uranium source in the world is one a growing number experts consider probable to be shelved until markets
stabilize….. http://uselectionnews.org/bhp-nysebhp-reports-it-will-make-tighter-worldwide-copper-supply-bhp-pcx-vale-anr-aci/
South Australia: police ready in force for anti uranium protest at Olympic Damn
“We’d like as many people as possible to show that Australian community does feel marginalised by the decision to build 
the largest uranium mine in the world and show they care,”
Protesters vow to shut down Olympic Dam, Police reporter Doug Robertson The Advertiser July 07, 2012 HUNDREDS of police will be sent to Roxby Downs as thousands of protesters from around the country attempt to shut down the Olympic Dam uranium mine.
The Desert Liberation Front website has issued an open invitation to more than 10,000 people to attend the six-day protest, music and art festival to be held on the outskirts of the town from next Saturday. It says it will take their protest to “Roxby Downs – gates of hell” to help “shut down the mine”….. More than 1200 protesters have already indicated they will attend while 723 others are seeking transport.
Police sources have told The Advertiser “a couple of hundred officers” will head to Roxby Downs, including STAR Group, mounted police and others on dirt bikes….The protest and festival is named after the Aboriginal Dream Time story of Kalta, a lizard which belongs to the land around Olympic Dam. Desert Liberation Front’s Adelaide-based spokeswoman Nectaria Calan said busloads of supporters were coming from Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. Continue reading
Olympic Damn Uranium Mine: BHP’s disgraceful record, and contempt for Australian Aboriginal rights
BHP has shown similar contempt for taking responsibility for the impacts of its actions in Australia. The recently amended Indenture Act which will apply to the new mine continues to exempt BHP from the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988, which applies elsewhere in the state.
It is clearly a conflict of interest to have a corporation with a commercial interest in a piece of land also making decisions as to whether this same piece of land has competing non-commercial values.
Uncle Kevin Buzzacott is an Arabunna elder. Arabunna land lies North of the mine site. The borefields which extract water for the mine from the Great Artesian Basin are located on Arabunna land. The recent recognition of the Arabunna peoples long standing Native Title claim does not give the Arabunna people any rights to contest the location of the borefields. The GAB feeds the mound springs scattered throughout the Lake Eyre region. The springs are integral to the desert ecosystem and sacred to the Arabunna people. They have already been impacted by the water usage of the current mine.
by Nectaria Calan, 9 July 12, The Lizards Revenge was first announced on the 10th October 2011, coinciding with the State and Federal approvals of the Olympic Dam expansion. Since then, Rio + 20 in June this year has highlighted the failure of the concept of sustainable development and the failure of individual governments and the international community to genuinely address the ongoing environmental destruction that has become a feature of our age. Continue reading
Huge wind farms to go ahead in South Australia and Western Australia
Go-ahead given for huge wind farm http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/go-ahead-given-for-huge-wind-farm/story-e6frea6u-1226418325533 5 July 12, FINAL State Government approval has been given for the construction of a $900 million, 105-turbine wind farm in the state’s mid-north.
The 315 megawatt Hornsdale wind farm, to be built 15km from Jamestown, would be the state’s largest, with the capacity togenerate 1,050,000 megawatt hours of electricity a year. The Development Assessment Commission gave provisional approval to the development in May, with Planning Minister John Rau yesterday giving developer Investec Bank Australia the green light to begin the development. Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the project would create up to 250 construction jobs locally.
Mega wind farm for Mid West Daniel Mercer, The West Australian July 6, 2012, State-owned power generator Verve is planning to significantly increase WA’s share of renewable energy supplies by spending $600 million to build the State’s biggest wind farm. Continue reading
New wind farm near Barossa Valley would power 68,000 homes
Wind farm mooted near Barossa http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-29/wind-farm-mooted-near-barossa/4100638 June 29, 2012 Pacific Hydro has submitted an application to the Development Assessment Commission for a 42-turbine wind farm on the edge of the Barossa Valley.
The Keyneton wind farm would be north-west of Cambrai, with turbines running along about 15 kilometres of the eastern Mount Lofty Ranges. The company initially proposed 57 turbines for the area but reduced the number in response to community concerns about the visual amenity and potential noise. The nearest house to the wind farm would be about 1.7 kilometres away, with most homes between three and five kilometres from the project.
The wind farm would power about 68,000 homes a year. Pacific Hydro already runs the Clements Gap wind farm, south of Port Pirie, and is proposing another near Georgetown in the mid-north.
BHP buys more Olympic Dam licences Jun 27 2012 http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8490254 BHP Billiton has bought four exploration licences for areas in the Olympic Dam region in South Australia for $3 million.
BHP bought the licences, and five exploration licence applications, from mineral exploration company Copper Range, which had been reviewing its presence in the Olympic Dam region since the departure of a joint venture partner.
BHP is currently considering a massive expansion of its copper, gold and uranium mining operations at Olympic Dam.
recommendations for BHP Billiton’s planned new copper/uranium mine at Olympic Dam
Olympic Dam / Roxby mine Recommendations 2012, by David Noonan, 18 June 2012:
Prevent South Australia becoming the Radioactive State by requiring BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam / Roxby mine to:
- only trade in copper and other non-radioactive products;
- not export uranium or to sell proposed radioactive copper-uranium concentrates; and
- leave the uranium and all other radioactive waste at the mine site.
Repeal the Roxby Downs (Indenture Ratification) Act 1982 and the 2011 amendments to the Indenture to: remove the extraordinary legal privileges granted to BHP Billiton including the override of state legislation that would apply to any other mining venture or commercial activity.
Require BHP Billiton to commit to environmental protection measures to:
- dispose of radioactive tailings into the proposed new Roxby open pit and to rehabilitate the pit should it be constructed;
- prevent liquid radioactive waste leakage from tailings piles – including by required lining of the tailings piles;
- use renewable energy for the full electricity supply to the proposed new open pit mine, rather than the BHP Roxby mine plan for a jump of 12 percent in SA’s total greenhouse gas emissions, and to phase out use of fossil fuels for the electricity supply to the existing mine;
- stop extraction of Great Artesian Basin waters from Borefield A as soon as possible and to phase out rather than expand extraction of GAB waters from Borefield B;
- and commit to biodiversity projects that genuinely compensate for the loss of flora and fauna caused by the mine project, proposed new open pit and associated operations.
Protect the unique ecology of the Upper Spencer Gulf and the breeding ground of the Giant Australian Cuttlefish by: prohibiting the construction of a major desalination plant in this fragile region by BHP Billiton.
These Recommendations are based on my recent update of the relevant sections of the “2010 State Election Agenda for SA” (authored by CCSA, ACF, TWS and NCSSA) that I had a lead role in as then ACF national nuclear free campaigner.
Economic viability of new giant Olympic Dam uranium mine is in question
BHP Could Net $6 Billion By Selling Olympic Dam Stake: Deutsche WSJ, By Robb M. Stewart, 8 June 12 With question marks hanging over the timing of BHP Billiton’s massive expansion of the Olympic Dam mine in South Australia, could a sale of a minority stake to a strategic partner offer the answer?….. The expansion of Olympic Dam is one of three $10 billion-plus “mega” projects that BHP’s board is due to decide on by the end of the year.
But with costs in Australia and other countries escalating and commodities prices slumping, the thinking of many analysts is that approval for one or more projects will be deferred.
In a research report, Deutsche valued Olympic Dam after all five phases of its expansion at about $14 billion on a life-of-mine net present value. But the internal rate of return was a modest 11.3% due to the large upfront cost to develop an open pit at the mine site….. http://blogs.wsj.com/dealjournalaustralia/2012/06/08/bhp-could-net-6-billion-by-selling-olympic-dam-stake-deutsche/
BHP investors disillusioned with Olympic Dam uranium mine expansion plans
Sell stake in mine, BHP urged Olga Galacho , Herald Sun June 09, 2012, BHP Billiton should cheer up its shareholders by undertaking a radical sale of 20 per cent of its copper-uranium Olympic Dam mine to a venture partner, broking
house Deutsche Bank suggested yesterday. Analyst Paul Young estimated such a deal could fetch about $6 billion, which the miner could use to fund the first part of its expansion plan for the South Australian mine and boost returns to shareholders.
But his counterpart at UBS, Glyn Lawcock slammed the idea, saying shareholders would be highly disappointed if BHP sold part of a tier-one asset….. BHP chief executive Marius Kloppers this week continued to stoke speculation that the miner might put the giant mine expansion on ice indefinitely..… Deutsche Bank believes investors are reflecting their disillusionment with the value of these long-term projects in the share market.
Call for moratorium on industrial development at Point Lowly, to save Giant Cuttlefish from extinction
CUTTLEFISH numbers at a key breeding ground in Spencer Gulf have plummeted, the Greens say.http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/cuttle-fish-numbers-plummet-at-point-lowy-say-australian-greens/story-e6frea83-1226389582466 Greens state MP Mark Parnell said local divers at the Point Lowly site
have reported a huge drop in numbers during the current breeding season.
“This annual marine breeding spectacle is of worldwide significance, not to mention how important it is for the local tourism industry,” Mr Parnell said in a statement on Friday. He said the state government must conduct an immediate investigation
to determine the cause of the slump in numbers. “First step is commissioning some urgent research by marine scientists
to find out exactly what is going on,” he said.
“Next is a moratorium on all industrial development at Point Lowly until the cause of the decline is discovered.” Mr Parnell said the annual breeding of the giant Australian cuttlefish at Point Lowly is the world’s only known mass cuttlefish spawning
event. “The permanent loss of this annual breeding event would be devastating,” he said.
Wind farms supported by majority of people in South Australia, Victoria and NSW
those who opposed wind power were “out of step with community thinking”.
Two-thirds (67 per cent) of people believed a farmer’s right to generate income from their land was more important than a resident’s right to a view clear of wind turbines.
‘People worrying themselves sick’ over windfarms http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/people-worrying-themselves-sick-over-windfarms/story-e6frea83-1226388175640 Political Reporter Lauren Novak June 07, 2012 MORE than 80 per cent of people believe health concerns about wind farms will “turn out to be nothing to worry about”, a survey commissioned by the Clean Energy Council says. Continue reading
Nuclear power not viable for South Australia, says Premier Jay Weatherill
SA Premier rejects nuclear argument THE AUSTRALIAN June 05, 2012 Premier Jay Weatherill says the South Australian Government remains opposed to nuclear energy as an avenue to cutting carbon
emissions…
.. Mr Weatherill says using nuclear energy is not on the table. “It doesn’t represent the policy of this Government,” he said. “Leaving aside the broader objections, there is a practical, financial objective that means that nuclear power for South Australia is unlikely to be viable.”
Unique Australian species – the giant cuttlefish now more threatened by Olympic Damn expansion.
It has also emerged that subtle changes to the wording of the Olympic Dam mine’s approval watered down recommended protection of the giant cuttlefish.
following a meeting with Mr Burke, the department [had] backflipped.
Greens SA leader Mark Parnell, who obtained the documents under Freedom of Information, said it would be much harder for the department to prosecute BHP Billiton if anything went wrong.
Cuttlefish population in decline: BHP, Heather Kennett | Brad Crouch, 4 June 12 http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/cuttlefish-population-in-decline-bhp/story-e6frea83-1226381517382 June 02, 2012 A NEW study has found a serious reduction in giant cuttlefish numbers in the region around Whyalla. Research commissioned by BHP Billiton – which wants to build a desalination plant near Whyalla – has found the cuttlefish population is already in serious decline ahead of hyper-saline brine being pumped from a future plant into Spencer Gulf….
. Tens of thousands of giant cuttlefish head to the Whyalla region each
winter to breed, which has become a tourist attraction. Their annual ritual has also become a pivotal environmental argument against BHP Billiton’s coastal desalination plant, which is part of its planned expansion of the Olympic Dam mine. ….. Continue reading
Despite the anti-wind hype, South Australia’s success shows the power of renewable energy
Australian energy ministers have been so keen on geothermal, because they can most readily understand the concept of drilling for energy. You can’t dig up solar and wind power.
Not only are wind and solar playing increasingly significant roles in the power grid, but they are also helping to make wholesale electricity prices cheaper.
the progress with renewable energy in South Australia is promising and shows that with a friendly policy environment – for example, no 2km wind farm exclusion zones – great strides can be made.
Are the lights still on in South Australia? Business Spectator, Daniel Palmer , 1 Jun 2012 “……I was concerned for the state of South Australia after receiving some interesting news during the day – wind now makes up 31 per cent of the state’s power supply, with solar PV accounting for another 3.5 per cent.
According to a leading energy advisory firm (Energy Quest), wind already “appears to be the new baseload.” Not bad in spite of the campaign against wind by they-who-shall-not-be-named……. . I have been told for years that wind and solar are not capable of supplying power consistently enough to power one house, yet alone be able to supply a third of the energy needs for an entire state.
It appears to be all a Y2K-like false alarm however, with everything operating as normal…. Continue reading
South Australia’s wind power figures vindicate radical energy plan http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/51184, May 31, 2012 Beyond Zero Emissions released the statement below on May 31. Yesterday energy consultants EnergyQuest broke the news that wind power supplied 31% of South Australia’s electricity in the last quarter. Continue reading
1 This month.
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