Liabilities scheme could safeguard Anglesea River

NEW state laws that compel resource companies to rehabilitate their mining sites should expand to include Alcoa’s Anglesea mine, environmental campaigners say.

Environmental Justice Australia and Friends of the Anglesea River (FOAR) have called on the state government to expand a Trailing Liabilities Scheme for Latrobe Valley to apply across the whole state, as it considers submissions before introducing new legislation.

The proposed laws would enable the government to ‘call back’ mining companies if existing mechanisms fail to achieve rehabilitation outcomes, forcing them to complete further work.

Alcoa has an approved remediation plan for its mine site that shut down in 2015, which involves filling the mine pit with water, earthworks and revegetation.

FOAR maintains its view that the Anglesea River’s deteriorating health is linked to mining activities.

The group believes decades of groundwater extraction by Alcoa for its mine and power station has caused current problems including high acidity, poor flow and increase in disease-carrying mosquitoes.

FOAR spokesperson Keith Shipton said remediation of the site sould be covered by the coming state legislation.

“The Anglesea community need trailing liability measures as much as in the Latrobe Valley. There is no justice in restricting trailing liability to just three mines.”

“The Alcoa mine and power station at Anglesea operated for 46 years… Friends of Anglesea River are convinced this has damaged the catchment and river system.”

Environmental Justice Australia lawyer Chloe Badcock said she was in favour of the intent of the laws, but that it should be expanded beyond the Latrobe Valley to protect communities from “band-aid” solutions.

“It’s fantastic the state government has made moves to enshrine this in the law, but it must extend to every mine, quarry and offshore oil and gas project,” she said.

“All too often, mine operators try to do as little as possible to clean up the mess they’ve made. But if drafted well, these laws can ensure they are held accountable.

“Without it, corporations’ legal obligations aren’t strong enough, and we risk those corporations benefitting at the expense of our environment and leaving communities and taxpayers to foot the bill.”

An estimate from the state’s auditor-general in 2020 found the cost of rehabilitating Victoria’s mines and quarries would cost more than $1.1 billion, and the government’s existing bonds were around $360 million short of the required figure.

The state government closed submissions on its laws on February 28 as it continues drafting the new legislation.