Call for Bendigo mines closures

ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners have called for the closure of the Kangaroo Flat and Eaglehawk mines owned by Unity Mining.Unity announced that its Kangaroo Flat mine would go into a hiatus this year but members of the Regional Environment Council have called for the mines to be shut down permanently, despite the company telling them that is not the intention.Community members attended a meeting with Unity staff and state government representatives, where Kangaroo Flat representative Mary Markey said it was of “paramount concern” to the community that the mines be closed.“It didn’t worry me when I thought there was going to be 500 jobs created there,” she said.“The promise of jobs and benefit to Bendigo was the balm on our unhappy situation, but now that this has gone, so must the company.“It is time for both the City of Greater Bendigo and the State Government of Victoria to demand that Unity Mining give back the over 100 hectares at Kangaroo Flat, Eaglehawk and Woodvale to the community.”Eaglehawk representative Ian Magee said he was concerned that Unity Mining would “leave (Bendigo) in the darkness of night” without taking responsibility when the local sites entered hiatus.But despite the calls, Unity Mining says it has made it “fairly clear” that it has no plans to permanently close any mines.Health, safety and environment manager Andrew Mattiske, who attended the meeting, said despite plans for a production hiatus at Kangaroo Flat later this year, the miner would continue to maintain the mine and explore the Bendigo Goldfields.“It is not our intention to rehabilitate (the land) and shut down the mine,” Mr Mattiske said. “It will remain on care and maintenance and have people look after it.”He said the Eaglehawk mine would also continue to be maintained for future use.“Eaglehawk we’re looking at as a future platform, but we’re still not at the point where we’re ready to develop.“The Woodvale evaporation ponds need to be maintained also because they take groundwater from the historic mine, and that will continue.”