Lately I have been having many a conversation with friends on the costs/benefits of the mining industry to Australia. It has been an interesting experience to see the different opinions that have emerged from a group who are normally quite like minded.
First I want to say that I understand the importance of the resource industry to Australia, I am in no way suggesting that we damage the industry. I just have a few concerns that I will raise over time.
Following is part of our conversation from that point:
"I’m not flying the green flag.
I’m flouting the flag of those that get ignored, those that try to make something of themselves, by themselves. The farmers whose kids are sick, the farmers whose produce gets rejected due to being tainted from the dust, those that were working their dream who have had to give it up because living it is becoming impossible because the mine is on their boundary and the dust blowing across their property, the fumes and the noise become unbearable. I’m waving the flag for a state that only gets one shot at doing this right, and letting the mines do it their way, is not always right. I am waving the flag of those that realise that coal is a natural resource owned by all, therefore the benefits from the mines should be managed in a way that will benefit the state into the future. Not simply used to plug a hole caused by shoddy management and politically motivated promises.
What I would like government to do about it is to sit down and take a breath. Stop approving new mines, do the research, get the answers. Once they have the answers you can hit go, don’t hit the go button then chase your tail throwing your hands in the air and complain you can’t work out a way to catch it.
The racing industry has flagged they are in trouble, they flagged it months ago. Coolmore stud has been loud on this front. 75% of this years thoroughbreds at the magic millions sales came from the Hunter. It is the second most densely populated stud region in the world outside of Kentucky. It is a huge industry with huge flow on. They have signaled they are in danger so let’s do the research and get the answers.
If pollution in the area keeps increasing, the quality of the grapes will be jeopardised, can you tell me that is not true? Probably not, because the research and planning hasn’t been done. Kill the quality of the wine, kill that industry, which kills tourism, which will result in what the mines want. Everyone to get out of their way, no competing industries, so a few shareholders can make short term profits.
I am not against the profits, I am not against the mines. But I am against the killing of other industries if the studies haven’t been done. I am against politicians that are afraid to seek those answers, I am against those that shrug their shoulders and say that Australia has no option but to send the coal as fast as we can to China. I am against us sitting here in 2030 thinking we really could have managed it better.
Have the cost vs benefit studies been done? What would be the net benefit/loss of the weakening of the thoroughbred breeding industry? Cost vs Benefit of ongoing health problems? Ways to manage the health risk?
It has been allowed to move too fast with governments simply concerned with the benefit to the short term budget.
Last night wasn’t a revelation, it was a consolidation of the complaints that have been getting ignored."
