Bob Brown Foundation is calling on Australia’s government to nominate takayna / Tarkine for World Heritage listing, urging Environment Minister Plibersek to protect takayna from mining company MMG’s plans to build a toxic mine-waste dump in ancient rainforest.
“Every member of Federal cabinet, in particular Prime Minister Albanese, should watch the 7NEWS Spotlight program hosted by Charles Wooley. They need to know MMG has a number of options for its tailings dam but the owls and rainforest in the Tarkine have none. The Albanese government should nominate the Tarkine for the world heritage listing it deserves,” Bob Brown said.
“Protecting takayna in a permanent conservation reserve, safe from mining and logging, will mitigate the climate and biodiversity crises. Under imminent threat from Chinese government-owned miner MMG’s proposed mine waste dump, this rainforested valley is home to 500-year-old cathedral-like myrtle trees and endangered Masked Owls, Wedge-tailed eagles, Tasmanian Devils and many more threatened species. The fact that these rainforests are considered as a dumping ground for mine waste is an indictment of Australian political values,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaigns Manager Jenny Weber said.
“If takayna’s forests are spared destruction, Australia can have a new World Heritage Area of intact wildness that supports a myriad of life. Miner MMG wants to destroy 285 hectares of rainforest and native forests to dump 25 million cubic meters of toxic mine tailings. MMG have viable alternatives for their mine waste but the Masked Owls and other wildlife depend on these forests for survival,” Jenny Weber said.
“MMG, which owns the mine at Rosebery in northwest Tasmania, has applied to dump its waste tailings in a dam in the takayna rainforest. Bob Brown Foundation does not oppose the mine, operational for 80 years, but we vehemently oppose the proposed tailings dam. Our campaign is with the Federal Government. We want it to defend the takayna rainforest and refuse MMG’s request to turn this beautiful part of it into a waste dump,” Bob Brown Foundation’s takayna Campaigner Scott Jordan said.
“Our foundation has kept the forests threatened by MMG standing, holding back MMG’s machinery since December 2020. A win-win outcome is available, which will see the rainforests and their wildlife can protected without losing a single job if MMG puts their waste back into their mine using a 21st century paste-fill plant,” Scott Jordan said.
“We call on the Australian government, a signatory to the UN global conventions on World Heritage, climate and biodiversity, to defend takayna’s extraordinary natural and Aboriginal values by providing secure conservation reserves for 495,000 hectares and requiring MMG to process its tailings elsewhere.”
“Likewise, China is a state party to the international conventions on World Heritage, biodiversity, and climate. It is gross hypocrisy for government-owned MMG to propose the heavy metals waste dump in takayna knowing it will destroy World Heritage values, endangered species habitat and a precious carbon storehouse. We call upon the Government of China to intervene and insist MMG abandons its plans to destroy precious rainforest in takayna and instead to utilise paste fill technology,” Scott Jordan said.
7NEWS Spotlight – Saving Australia’s Amazon, will be available to watch online here: