Conservationists urge Shire of Augusta-Margaret River to get on the front foot fighting mining applications

Local environmental defenders are calling on the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River to take the lead on protecting the region against an anticipated slew of mining applications. Margaret River Regional Environment Centre spokeswoman Peta Goodwin said the region’s volunteers were exhausted after years of fighting off major threats. As one of the Nannas for Forests, Ms Goodwin said the Shire needed to step in and bring its resources and legal expertise to protect the region against often-vexatious mineral exploration bids such as the ones recently revealed by the Times. But at present, activists feared the Shire wasn’t on top of what they perceived as an emerging threat to the Margaret River region. Earlier this year, the Times reported disgraced businessman David Alan Zohar lodged two bids to explore massive tracts of Margaret River and Cowaramup for potential mining. Ms Goodwin said she undertook the process to object to the granting of those licences and the prospector had since withdrawn them. However, she said it was ridiculous to expect residents to hire lawyers and front the Warden’s Court to lodge objections when the Shire had an in-house lawyer and experience from the Osmington coal-mine saga from early last decade. Furthermore, news of yet another massive exploration application this week affecting more than 46,000ha east of Witchcliffe meant the threat to the region from mining would likely continue. “We think it’s only going to get bigger,” Ms Goodwin said. Former shire president Pam Townshend supported the call for the shire to do more, noting the region had faced down the threat of a major coal mine in Osmington only after the shire and other public figures and local politicians got on board. “The shire council has an interest in this and they’ve got resources,” she said. “They could quite easily put in objections. “There is a push now to find lithium,” Ms Townshend said. “We’ve got to be prepared for the fact there’s more of this coming, people who think they’re going to get rich through the electric industry.” While speculation was rife the withdrawn Zohar applications were designed to boost the once-jailed businessman’s company profile, ordinary residents were unable to tell if applications were mere speculations, or designed to get big miners on board. “How could we fight them?” Ms Goodwin asked. The shire did not respond with an outline on its stance and steps taken to examine incoming mining applications, but president Paula Cristoffanini said she was previously active in opposing proposals. “I am sure (the) council would want to consider their position on an actual mining proposal within the shire,” she said.