save the tarkine appeal rejected!!, page-13

Decision expected on new Tarkine mine

By SEAN FORD Sept. 24, 2013, midnight

A DECISION crucial to whether a new Tarkine mine will go ahead is now expected midweek.

A ruling on an environmentalist appeal against West Coast Council approval of Venture Minerals' proposed Riley iron ore mine near Tullah was expected yesterday.

However, the Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal confirmed yesterday morning the decision was now not expected until later in the week.

Work was still being done on the issue.

The Tarkine National Coalition (also known as Save the Tarkine) is behind the appeal.

It has also been considering Federal Court action against Commonwealth environmental approval of the project.

That was delivered in early August.

Venture said at the time it would start site works and preproduction ramp-up once it received unencumbered approvals.

It was expecting Riley to be a high-margin operation that would help fund further potential projects near Tullah, including its big Mount Lindsay tin-tungsten project.

Save the Tarkine campaign co- ordinator Scott Jordan said the group was expecting to know this week if it would launch Federal Court action against the federal environmental approvals of Venture's Riley project, the new Shree Minerals iron ore mine at Circular Head or both.

"Until the lawyers provide advice on what grounds (for action) there should be, we're not in a position to want to be making big statements," Mr Jordan said.

"We can't make the decision until the lawyers put the advice in front of us, but on the face of it ... it appears the minister acted unlawfully."

He said he was referring to approvals for both mines.

http://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/1797097/decision-expected-on-new-tarkine-mine/?cs=87