MOORABOOL Environment Group (MEG) is demanding greater transparency from the state government over a potential open-cut coal mine.
Through freedom of information laws, the group has requested details from the Department of Primary Industries about who it consulted before issuing a permit to Mantle Mining, allowing it to explore for brown coal around Bacchus Marsh and Parwan.
As reported by the Weekly, Mantle recently completed its year-long drilling program, announcing coal thickness in the last of its 12 holes had exceeded expectations by 27per cent.
MEG secretary Deb Porter said concerned residents had been starved of information, seeing little more than biased shareholder reports from Mantle Mining.
“Moorabool Environment Group is asking for any documents that DPI considered before granting approvals for Mantle Mining’s exploration project in Moorabool,” she said.
Ms Porter said information about the project’s potential health or environment impacts were not released with Mantle’s work plan.
“The only information we get is through the paper and through media releases,” she said.
“What agencies did the DPI consult with? What recommendations were made?”
A DPI spokesman said the Bacchus Marsh exploration had led to a number of FOI requests that would be answered as soon as possible.
The spokesman said the exploration had had minimal environmental impact, and it had been a relatively simple short-term program of about 15 small diameter drill holes up to 150 metres deep and with very little ground disturbance.
The spokesman said Mantle’s work plan outlined rehabilitation of the drilling sites and had received the consent of all landholders.
DPI data released 12 years ago showed that for every 1000 exploration operations conducted in Victoria, 100 were followed up and one became a commercial mine.
A government spokeswoman said 681 exploration licences for various minerals had been granted in Victoria since 2002.
“The Victorian government is committed to ensuring Victoria has a sustainable mining industry that does not harm the environment and respects the rights of landholders,” the spokeswoman said.
She said DPI had inspected Mantle’s exploratory work on four occasions and it was complying with the work plan.
A parliamentary inquiry recently recommended changes to Victoria’s mining regime, including reforms to give communities more information about exploration and mining affecting them.
Ms Porter said the government received her FOI request on June 21 and she expected a reply within 45 days.
On Monday, Mantle Mining and larger mining company Exergen announced the signing of a joint venture agreement, providing a framework for potential future development. Mantle is expected to release a resource report on its exploratory work during the next few weeks.
