Qld: Wild rivers will cost jobs, says miner

AAP General News (Australia)
04-13-2010
Qld: Wild rivers will cost jobs, says miner

EDS: Clarifies information in 11th par about size of buffer zones being sought



By Evan Schwarten

CAIRNS, April 13 AAP - More than $1 billion in economic benefits and about 1700 jobs
would be lost if a wild rivers declaration over a fourth Cape York river goes ahead as
planned, the CEO of a controversial mining project has warned.

Cape Alumina CEO Paul Messenger has called on the Queensland government to amend its
proposed declaration for the Wenlock River or risk his company's planned Pisolite Hills
bauxite project.

"The proposed wild rivers declaration is flawed and must be amended," Dr Messenger
told reporters in Cairns on Tuesday.

"If it is amended the project will go ahead and create jobs - if it is not it will
seriously jeopardise the Pisolite Hills project.

"No project, no jobs - it's a pretty simple scenario."

He said an economic impact assessment had shown the project would deliver $600 million
in economic benefits and contribute $1.2 billion to the national GDP over the 15-year
life of the project.

It would also create 1700 jobs, including 1300 full-time jobs, with the biggest beneficiaries
being the nearby indigenous community of Mapoon.

Environmentalists, led by Terri Irwin, have rallied against the mining project and
called on the government to proceed with the declaration in its current form, which places
significant limits on development within the Wenlock Basin.

Almost 300,000 people have signed a Wilderness Society petition supporting the declaration.

Part of the mining lease overlaps the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve and the Irwin family
have argued the project would have a devastating environmental impact.

Cape Alumina has argued for the 500 metre buffers around springs to be reduced to 200
metres, although the company says its operation will not come within 2km of the river
itself.

Dr Messenger urged the government not to be swayed by what he termed "misinformation"

from green groups and sought a decision based on science.

"We will protect the Wenlock River, we will protect all of the areas of environmental
value and we will demonstrate that you can have environmental protection and economic
development co-existing," he said.

The company is due to release an environmental impact study for the project in June
and hopes to begin shipping bauxite by 2012.

The Queensland government is expected to make a decision on the Wenlock wild rivers
declaration proposal in the coming months.

AAP ews/pjo/maur

KEYWORD: RIVERS BAUXITE (REISSUING)

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