The council officer’s report to councillors recommended the WIFT be removed from the mining licence area ‘due to its primary role as freight terminal, council ownership, strategic importance to the region and need for it to operate independently of any mining licence’.
The council believes the proposed mine activity to have no connection to rail at this stage, accordingly, it is appropriate to request it be removed from the mining licence.
Council's submission has also requested a separation distance of two kilometres from a sensitive receptor – meaning homes and businesses would be two kilometres from the mining and processing.
Another key part of the submission is council’s concern about the WIM Base Area being located outside the licenced area.
“Council has been of the strong view that the WBA should be included in the mining licence area so that the same regulatory frameworks are applied to the processing plant and that the State Government should be the regulatory authority for all mining activity,” the report read.
Other concerns included in the submission were: the haulage route and frequency of trucks; progressive rehabilitation of local roads; landscape screening; air quality management plan; real-time continuous air quality monitoring; radiation management plan; agricultural baseline assessment completed prior to mining within each landholding or paddock by a suitably qualified person; and comprehensive rehabilitation plan.
Council also raised the need for targeted community and workforce support programs; a workforce accommodation strategy; a wellbeing plan and access to counselling services to support landholders and families who will be displaced by the project; land access agreements or land purchase – with consent from the owners/occupiers of the land directly affected needing to be granted prior to the commencement of works; and a contingency plan for unplanned closure.
Cr Brian Klowss moved the motion to make the submission, and said the document put the community’s views at the forefront.
Cr Angela Munn said council had put a lot of work in trying to gauge as much of the community’s opinions as possible.
Cr Rebecca Sluggett said she ‘whole-heartedly endorsed’ the submission.
“Having gone to our listening post recently it was very evident that is a topic our community did not have enough input into the earlier stages,” she said.
“Mining done correctly and safely is likely to have a big impact on Horsham and would potentially have a really good benefit for many of our local businesses when done correctly.
“I’m also very concerned that a big industry that we have here, being agriculture, of which many of our businesses are very reliant on, is something that may be impacted not just for the next 32 years, but far into the future.”
– Lauren Henry
The entire April 30, 2025 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!
The entire April 30, 2025 edition of AgLife is available online. READ IT HERE!
