Farmers chiselling away at new mining and agriculture policy

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DISCUSSIONS… Agricultural Security and Priority Committee member Brenton Davey and ASAP subcommittee chair Max Wilksch at a meeting with farmers in Arthurton last week.

MORE than 60 farmers attended a presentation about mining on farming land at Arthurton on Thursday night, July 16. Attendees learned about the Agricultural Security and Priority Committee’s draft policy on invasive mining in agricultural land.

Chair of the ASAP subcommittee and Grain Producers SA director Max Wilksch, who is also a farmer on lower Eyre Peninsula, was the keynote speaker.

ASAP Committee member Brenton Davey, of Pine Point, opened the meeting, noting the ASAP sub-committee was established in 2014 by the GPSA board specifically to advocate for farmers’ rights to farm. The subcommittee’s primary focus has been developing the draft policy. Mr Wilksch stressed the importance of YP agriculture to the South Australian economy, which he attributed to its rich cropping land and easy access to Adelaide markets. He also noted more than 95 per cent of Yorke Peninsula is now under mining exploration licence, making the issue of open-cut mining on agricultural land a prime concern for this region. Mr Wilksch provided details of ASAP’s draft policy on invasive mining in agricultural land before opening up the meeting for comment and feedback.

He said all issues raised at the meeting would be taken into account by ASAP. A final show of hands from those present indicated overwhelming support for the general direction and content of the draft policy.

The meeting was organised by Yorke Peninsula Land Owners Group spokesperson Joy Wundersitz who commended the GPSA for establishing the ASAP subcommittee and for taking a proactive role in responding to the issue. “YP is currently under threat from exploration/ mining companies seeking to develop large open-cut heavy-metal mines on the peninsula,” she said. “The first of these — Rex Minerals’ Hillside Project — has already received government approval. “Such mines will pose major threats to YP agriculture and the broader environment which will have long-lasting effects on future generations of farmers in this region.”

YP Country Times July 21 2015

 

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