WE NEED YOUR HELP TO STOP THIS HAPPENING
After months of inaction, the Liberal Government may now be planning to proceed with their Mining Bill after receiving a commitment from the Labor Opposition to support its passage through Parliament (see attached extracts from The Advertiser). Labor’s move comes as no surprise because the Lib’s bill is a carbon copy of their own Bill that failed to get through before the last election.
Although the Libs are remaining tight lipped about their plans, the Bill could be listed for debate in the House of Assembly very soon.
WE NEED TO ACT NOW to convince the Liberal Government it would not be in its political interests to reintroduce the Bill into Parliament but instead, to set up an independent review of the Mining Act.
Since the review of the present Mining Act was first announced in late 2016, we have witnessed a complete disregard by both political parties for the rights of South Australian farmers and the long-term future of our remaining agricultural land. Instead, they have chosen to prioritise the needs of the resource industry while merely paying lip service to the importance of agriculture, even though it remains the key economic driver of SA’s economy. In the process, we have been subjected to broken election promises, political one-upmanship, indecisive and intransigent leadership and an unwillingness to recognise the legitimacy of farmers’ valid concerns for their long term future.
GPSA, YPLOG and farmers across SA have made it abundantly clear to both the Liberal Government and the Labor opposition that this Bill is completely unacceptable and any attempt to push it through would be met with strong farmer resistence.
The Liberal Government has been given a way out of the current impasse – ie to establish a new and totally independent review of the Mining Act (1971). This approach has been consistently advocated by GPSA, YPLOG and others. It has also had the support of the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy.
In our view, this is the only way forward that would provide some hope for a fair and just outcome for landowners. However, the Libs have continued to reject this option. We need to convince them that any other course of action will be strongly opposed by the farming community.
PLEASE ACT URGENTLY
- Send a personal email (or copy the draft email provided below) to all Liberal Members of Parliament as per the following email addresses.
(To do this, simply copy and paste the following list into your “Send to” box). Then add your message.
- Email your support and thanks to the four Lib. MPs who have steadfastly fought for our cause
Fraser Ellis Narungga@parliament.sa.gov.au
Dan Cregan kavel@parliament.sa.gov.au
Steve
Murray davenport@parliament.sa.gov.au
Nick McBride mackillop@parliament.sa.gov.au
- Text or call media outlets when the Mining Bill is being discussed.
- David Bevan – ABC-Radio Adelaide – 9 – 11 am
- Leon Byner – 5AA – Phone 8223 0000- mornings
- Peter Goers – ABC-Radio Adelaide: 7 – 10 pm. Talkback – 1300 222891 SMS 0467 922891
- Country Hour; Cassy Hough: ABC North & West; (639AM) phone: 1300 160222; SMS 0467922783 or 0467922891.
- ABC radio talk back 1300222891
DRAFT EMAIL:
Dear Liberal Member of Parliament,
I am deeply concerned that the Liberal Government may be intending to recommence Parliamentary debate on its draft Mining Bill soon. If the Government chooses to do so, it will face a strong backlash from the many farmers who have loyally supported the party for decades.
I call on every members of the Liberal Government – the Premier, Cabinet Ministers and backbenchers – to act immediately to shelve this Bill and announce an independent review into the Mining Act, as advocated by GPSA, other key farmer representative groups and individual landowners across South Australia.
Enough is enough! It is time the Liberal Government finally acknowledged and acted on the legitimate demands from farmers for greater protection for agricultural land against the incursion of resource activities.
Name:
Phone No;
Address: