of suspensions, halts, and suspense!

Marathon Resources, the company that was suspended from drilling in early 2008 after it illegally dumped waste in the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary - and now wishes to return to active mineral exploration - has requested a trading halt on its shares from the Australian Stock Exchange as of yesterday (ASX)

According to the company's statement to the ASX -

The halt is to allow time for Marathon Resources to confirm the acceptibility of the terms of the renewal of EL4355 offered by the South Australian Government and, if acceptable, implement a capital raising.

Not for the first time, the interested public is left scratching its collective head, and wondering what it all means. They're to be offered a lease. We knew that was coming, sadly. But on what terms?

One person who would really like to know is Marg Sprigg, owner of the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary. She told ABC news -

It was great concern to think that steps have obviously been taken that we have no knowledge of.

We expected to be involved in the process regarding input into what conditions might be placed on them and it's extremely disappointing to think that after all that's gone the Government has just side-stepped. [see complete item posted below]

Marg had, understandably, wanted to be party to the negotiations in order to understand what the state government were prepared to allow in the conservation area she manages. And yet she was simply ignored; she knows no more about it than you or I do, dear reader!

Do you recall Mineral Resources Minister Paul Holloway telling parliament in September 2008 -

When I made my statement I think I mentioned a number of other conditions that Marathon Resources will have to meet before any further exploration will be permitted in that area. One of the obvious ones is its relationship with the landholders. The view I have expressed to any mineral explorer is that, if they do not have good relations with the landholders, the future of mining within those areas is likely to be bleak. [emphasis mine]

Can we assume, then, that common courtesy and 'good relations' is a rule that applies only to others, and not to the state government?

It's not exactly 'transparency,' is it?

So no-one, apart for the Rann government and the company, knows what the proposed conditions of this lease are, including the crucial conditions for any return to drilling. This despite being targetted on a wild area that is clearly dear to the hearts of so many, as the overwhelming support for its preservation that is expressed each time the issue is raised in any public forum indicates.

The Rann government has promised that the environment of Arkaroola will be strictly protected - um, fine, but this is exactly the same statement they've been making throughout! - and that the company will be faced with a year lease with no 'automatic right' of renewal.


so, what can you do?


If you're as concerned about the prospect of a return to drilling as I am, doubtlessly you're asking yourself 'so, what can I do?'

Several things - firstly, you can add your name and comments to The Wilderness Society's cyber-action regarding Arkaroola - if you haven't done so already - as more than 2600 people have at the time of writing. (the action achieved its original target of 2000 signatures in a little over 24 hours - let's see if we can achieve the revised target of 3000 in a few more!) And you can encourage your friends to join in!

Secondly, you could contact your MP, and Mike Rann's office, to voice your concern, or write to The Advertiser.

Thirdly, you could come along to the Wilderness Society's proposed action on Monday the 7th of February at 10.30 am, on the steps of Parliament House. If you can make it along, please do - and remember; the 'someone else' who'll probably make it along if you don't is actually still you!

Here's what TWS propose -

The Rann Government has given permission for previously disgraced mining company Marathon Resources to return to uranium exploration in the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary. The Government’s decision was held back and only announced in the week before Christmas.

The community protest on the steps of Parliament House will send a message to the Rann Government that this decision has not gone unnoticed, and protesters will call on the Government to protect Arkaroola instead of allowing Marathon to mine it.

This will be a relaxed, non-confrontational event designed to highlight the issue for those of the public who may not even have realised that a new drilling lease may be in the offing (given the 'interesting' timing of the government's announcement!).

And it will be a great opportunity to contribute, and learn more about other avenues for participating in the campaign; plus a great chance to pick up Arkaroola stickers (see at the top of the post - get yours before nearly everyone else does!) and other campaign materials.

You might even get to meet a Labor Maaaaaate (and will they have a proposal for you?!)

Here's the ABC news report in full.

The manager of Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is angry that conditions have been decided without her input for a resources company to keep exploring the area in the Flinders Ranges.

There has been a trading halt in shares in Marathon Resources while a renewal of its exploration lease is considered.

The company was caught illegally dumping waste in the wilderness area in 2008.

Sanctuary manager Marg Sprigg said she would like to have had some input into the conditions.

"It was great concern to think that steps have obviously been taken that we have no knowledge of," she said.

"We expected to be involved in the process regarding input into what conditions might be placed on them and it's extremely disappointing to think that after all that's gone the Government has just side-stepped." ABC online 4/02/11

 

they're back - so it's time to act!

Marathon's project rattles on for another 12 months despite it's chequered history and clear public opposition.

The Adelaide Advertiser has started examining some of the Labor links of the lobbying muscle being deployed on the company's behalf -

Labor mates' lobbying a 'threat' to Arkaroola

* Sarah Martin, Political Reporter
* From: The Advertiser
* December 21, 2010 12:00AM

POWERFUL lobbyists connected to the Labor Party are winning the fight to mine Arkaroola.

Negotiations between Marathon Resources and the State Government began yesterday after the Government said it would renew the mining company's exploration licence for another year.

Marathon was suspended from drilling for uranium on the northern Flinders Ranges site two years ago after dumping waste in breach of its licence conditions, but new exploration conditions are now being negotiated. Sanctuary directors and conservation groups say the powerful forces backing Marathon - including a Chinese government-owned shareholder - mean protecting the area faces tough opposition.

Former Labor senator John Quirke is the registered lobbyist for Marathon, while another former Labor senator Chris Schacht is a company director. Labor powerbroker and union heavyweight Paul Howes has also lent his support to mining in Arkaroola.

Premier Mike Rann and Mineral Resources Minister Paul Holloway have both met representatives from CITIC, one of the largest state-owned conglomerates in China and a 17 per cent shareholder in Marathon.

Arkaroola Sanctuary director Marg Sprigg said she feared the lobbying effort would be stepped up over the next 12 months to allow Marathon to resume drilling.

Greens MLC Mark Parnell said the project was being pushed by "a conga-line of Labor luminaries". "Governments should make decisions on the basis of sound advice, not the sound of highly paid lobbyists whispering in their ears," he said.

A Government spokesperson said it was considering conservation options for the sanctuary.

You can make your own comment on this piece here -

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/labor-mates-lobbying-threat-to-arkaroola/story-fn6bqphm-1225974152919


sticker up!


And you can secure yourself a place in environmental campaigning history by displaying a soon-to-be iconic 'No Mine in Arkaroola' sticker on your car (see above).

Grab your sticker by contacting The Wilderness Society here in Adelaide; phone 8231 6586, or drop in at 7th Floor, 118 King William Street in the city, just north of the Pirie Street intersection.

(While not required a donation would help TWS in the production of more of the stickers! Some organizations aren't quite as cashed up as others... :-) )

 

they're baaaack!...

 
...but what does it all mean?

The SA government has announced the renewal of Marathon's exploration lease over the weekend.

However, what we don't know is the terms under which the exploration component of the lease may be undertaken. In fact, the government has announced that it will be discussing those terms with the company over the next month or so.

This begs an obvious question - why are they not also discussing these terms with Marg and Doug Sprigg, the owners of the Arkaroola Sanctuary? Who better understands the direct impact of exploration activity in these wild, semi-arid ranges?

The widespread and embarrassing scientific criticism of Seeking a Balance, their 'mining access plan' for the northern Flinders Ranges - particularly that coming from the SA Museum - hardly leaves Mike Rann's team in a position where they can credibly claim to have the environmental nous to supervise a mining company operating in this highly sensitive region.

Acting on minerals' minister Paul Holloway's behalf, science minister Jack Snelling has announced -

"There'll be stronger conditions on their exploration activities, stronger controls," he said.

"The Government's also looking at what its options are with respect to protecting the area and that could possibly mean the exclusion of mining to the most environmentally sensitive parts of Arkaroola."

What does it all mean? Of course there will be 'stronger conditions' on exploration activities - the changes recently made to the Mining Act were triggered by Marathon's waste dumping scandal in Arkaroola! So conditions are 'stronger' already; but what else do they have in mind?

And the exclusion of mining from 'the most sensitive parts' of Arkaroola makes perfect sense if we take an honest look and announce that the whole range area of the Sanctuary is 'the sensitive part'! Other than that we're just back in the dithering, 'dog's breakfast' crazy-quilt zoning territory of the already thoroughly-discredited Seeking a Balance!

It's difficult not to conclude, like Greens MLC Mark Parnell, that 'they're having a bet both ways', holding out hope to both conservationists and miners!

We were promised an official government response to the public submissions on Seeking a Balance along with this lease renewal, by the way, and we look forward to that shortly being made available.


one year only and no autorenewal


The company is being told they're only getting the one year on the exploration lease, and there'll be no automatic right of renewal upon expiration. Some of of us doubt there ever really was an automatic right of renewal to an exploration lease, but Minister Holloway has rather gone out of his way in parliament to justify himself on the basis of these supposed 'automatic expectations'. So, does this amount to painting one's way back out of the corner?

At any rate, clearly it's in the public interest that no company should expect that they're entitled to a renewal of any lease to access public resources.

And the public is definitely entitled to see the highest possible levels of protection for this iconic area of our State. It's time to end the farce of pretending that these necessary protections and mining can co-exist.

Extension granted for mining exploration [ABC online South Australia 20/12/2010]

Mining company Marathon Resources has had its exploration licence for the Northern Flinders Ranges in South Australia extended by one year.

The company applied for a further two years exploration after the licence expired in October.

Acting Mineral Resources Development Minister, Jack Snelling, says the State Government was obliged to approve the application under the Mining Act, but only by one year.

Marathon was caught illegally dumping waste at Arkaroola in 2008. [My link BJD]

Mr Snelling says the company will have stricter operating conditions and will no longer have a right of renewal.

He says the government will consult with the company over the next month to develop the details of the licence.

"There'll be stronger conditions on their exploration activities, stronger controls," he said.

"The Government's also looking at what its options are with respect to protecting the area and that could possibly mean the exclusion of mining to the most environmentally sensitive parts of Arkaroola."

The manager of the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, Marg Sprigg, says the changes are a step in the right direction.

"We would've preferred if Marathon hadn't had their licence renewed but we understand the Government's position on this and the struggle to protect Arkaroola will continue on, but it is a clear indication to us that the Government recognises the long term sustainable value of places like Arkaroola," she said.

But Greens MP Mark Parnell says the Government should have banned mining in the area.

"The Government is mucking around with the long term protection of Arkaroola, they're having a bet both ways," he said.

"They're holding out hope to the mining companies that they'll be allowed back in and they're holding out hope to conservationists that long term protection is just around the corner."