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LIGNITE Ltd withdraws its applications for three Collie coal exploration licences
Edited by : AL CIRCLE
2 min read
LIGNITE Pty Ltd has withdrawn its applications for three Collie coal exploration licences, covering an area stretching from Collie Burn through Collie townsite to Allanson.
Despite the withdrawal, Collie objectors will be back in the Warden’s Court next month to fight moves by Premier Coal and Bauxite Resources for mining licences.
Premier will face 32 objections to plans for a mining lease close to Cardiff and Preston Settlement.
A mining lease can be for 21 years with an option for another 21 years, with no real timeframe, said Rural Action Group member Leanne Brockwell.
“All of the objectors are people who will be affected by a mine going ahead,” she said.
The area covered by the mining tenement application is 73.45 hectares.
All of this land is privately owned, but land once owned by Premier Coal close to the proposed mining lease was sold to the public and ex-Shotts people moved because of Premier Mine, Ms Brockwell said.
The Premier Coal hearing is due on August 10.
A week later, on August 17, Bauxite Resources Ltd will apply for an exploration mining tenement over an area stretching 56 blocks from McAlinden to Worsley. An exploration licence can be up to 21,700ha.
Four objections have been received to Bauxite Resources’ application.
The company will meet objectors before that hearing, but a date has not been set.
Ms Brockwell said she found it significant that Bauxite Resources Ltd was applying for sub-surface rights, because bauxite was found half a metre to 1.5 metres below the surface but subsurface rights were for mining 30 metres or more below the natural ground surface.
Subsurface tenements, however, did not require the same amount of public notice as surface licences. Without going to court for a mining lease, the miner could get a lease for 21 years and then another 21 years. “That’s 42 years when people don’t know what is going to happen to their land,” she said.
They would not be able to plan buildings or other improvements or even know if they were going to have any water.
Despite the withdrawal, Collie objectors will be back in the Warden’s Court next month to fight moves by Premier Coal and Bauxite Resources for mining licences.
Premier will face 32 objections to plans for a mining lease close to Cardiff and Preston Settlement.
A mining lease can be for 21 years with an option for another 21 years, with no real timeframe, said Rural Action Group member Leanne Brockwell.
“All of the objectors are people who will be affected by a mine going ahead,” she said.
The area covered by the mining tenement application is 73.45 hectares.
All of this land is privately owned, but land once owned by Premier Coal close to the proposed mining lease was sold to the public and ex-Shotts people moved because of Premier Mine, Ms Brockwell said.
The Premier Coal hearing is due on August 10.
A week later, on August 17, Bauxite Resources Ltd will apply for an exploration mining tenement over an area stretching 56 blocks from McAlinden to Worsley. An exploration licence can be up to 21,700ha.
Four objections have been received to Bauxite Resources’ application.
The company will meet objectors before that hearing, but a date has not been set.
Ms Brockwell said she found it significant that Bauxite Resources Ltd was applying for sub-surface rights, because bauxite was found half a metre to 1.5 metres below the surface but subsurface rights were for mining 30 metres or more below the natural ground surface.
Subsurface tenements, however, did not require the same amount of public notice as surface licences. Without going to court for a mining lease, the miner could get a lease for 21 years and then another 21 years. “That’s 42 years when people don’t know what is going to happen to their land,” she said.
They would not be able to plan buildings or other improvements or even know if they were going to have any water.
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