The lease was previously granted to MMG before being revoked after the Minister was forced to concede that the lease was unlawful and that he has no power to grant it.
Documents gained under a Right to Information request showed that MMG had stated that its purpose was to gain unimpeded access to its existing mine lease, (a Beijing-esque euphemism for clearing out the protestors) which already has road access on Helilog Road. The new lease makes it an offence to be within seven kilometres of MMG’s proposed project site.
Helilog Road is also the access to the sign posted Forest Walk tourist site, which will now be illegal to walk.
“What we are seeing here is rank cronyism. Beijing calls for the protestors to be out. Guy Barnett complies”, said Bob Brown Foundation takayna/Tarkine Campaigner Scott Jordan.
“This is a betrayal of all those Tasmanians who have expressed their right to protest against this Chinese state owned company and for our amazing rainforests and wildlife”.
“We know that the last lease was unlawful and that it was only voided when our Foundation raised questions. Given the Minister’s form, we will again raise questions as to the lawful basis for this mining lease”.
On Thursday, the Department of State Growth refused the release of documents sought under a Right to Information request relating to the previous unlawful lease.