Nanna Anne talks to Leanne and Garry Hall of “The Mole” near Warren as Australian Consolidated Gold Holdings (ACGH) takes the NSW Resource Regulator to court.
Background
The proposed drilling locations are on “The Mole”, a property owned by Garry and Leanne Hall.
This is the second attempt to obtain an Approved Prospecting Order (APO). The first was in 2019/20.
The area has been geologically mapped and so they are pretty sure there is gold and copper at this site. However, on the High-tech Metal Resources of NSW map it doesn’t appear to be so.
To obtain an APO, ACGH have to complete a self assessment and present it to the Regulator who then completes a desk top assessment and approval is either given or withheld.
In April 2024 the Resources Regulator granted the Licence to do the exploratory drill holes.
Landowners Garry and Leanne Hall were shocked as in the ACGH assessment they claimed:
- They would only use existing tracks
- No vegetation needed removing
- The drill holes were all on farmed land
All these were false (see map above).
The Nature Conservation Council (NCC) and the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) came on board to help fight for the protection of this vulnerable and ecologically important wetland.
In July 2024 the Regulator overturned the decision. In a letter to the landholders of the proposed drill sites, the Resources Regulator said:
“…the decision maker when making the decision was not provided with all relevant and accurate information therefore the decisions were not validly made. As such, both decisions to grant the APOs were not decisions at law and have no legal effect.”
ACGH are taking the Regulator to court arguing in the NSW Land and Environment Court (LAEC) that the Minister for Natural Resources did not follow process under the Mines Act when the approval was revoked.
“If the LAEC finds in favour of ACGH we will likely be forced into arbitration to sign a land access agreement,” said Garry Hall.
The current mining lease expires in February 2025.
Why mining in the Macquarie Marshes must be stopped
At least two of the proposed drill holes are in the Ramsar Wetland Management Area. Ramsar wetlands are “those that are representative, rare or unique wetlands, or are important for conserving biological diversity. These are included on the List of Wetlands of International Importance developed under the Ramsar convention”. (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water)
The Australian Painted Snipe is one of the most endangered birds in the world with only 300 remaining. Twelve of these birds have been recently found on this site.
What now?
Three representatives from the Resource Regulator have visited the site.
Garry and Leanne will continue to work with Environmental EDO and the NCC to fight AGCH and to halt all mining in this most precious ecologically important habitat.
More information Westernplainsapp.
IMAGE: Leanne Hall – Landowner Garry Hall in the area approved for drilling in the Macquarie Marshes.