Woodsreef
Are you concerned about the rapid expansion of the Coal Mining industry? How about the impacts of CSG (Coal Seam Gas) and what would happen if things went wrong? And if you were concerned would you be worried that the companies involved would just walk away and the government just throw the whole thing in the too hard basket ? If you’re not concerned you should be! A precedent has already been set. The abandoned Woodsreef Asbestos Mine north of Tamworth in N.S.W. is a national disgrace. It’s not a relic from the turn of the century. It’s a modern day environmental disaster.
Large scale mining took place from 1972 until 1983 when the mine finally closed. Since then many reports have been done on how this derelict mine might be rehabilitated but very little has happened on the site.
As a result of the NSW State Ombudsman’s report “Responding to the asbestos problem: The need for significant reform in NSW” (November 2010) the Woodsreef Taskforce was formed. The Chairman of the taskforce is Brad Mullard, Executive Director Mineral Resources along with representatives from the Ministry of Health, Environment Protection Authority, Primary industries, Workcover, Hunter New England Health and Trade and Investment. The Taskforce is the responsible body for the ongoing management of Woodsreef Mine. As part of their management plan they are going to demolish the 8 story Mill House and the former administration office.
The Taskforce also intends to have Crow Mountain Road (AKA The Mine Road) closed. They call this a major rehabilitation project. Pulling down a few hundred tonnes of concrete and steel and closing a road is a major rehabilitation project? What about the 24 million tonne mountain of asbestos tailings eroding away on site? What about the 75 million tonnes of waste rock some of which also contains Chrysotile asbestos? There is currently no long term plan to remediate the site.
Are you concerned about governments’ lack of political will when it comes to mining companies? You should be!
The slide show below shows the Mine in it's early days and how it all started.
As a result of the NSW State Ombudsman’s report “Responding to the asbestos problem: The need for significant reform in NSW” (November 2010) the Woodsreef Taskforce was formed. The Chairman of the taskforce is Brad Mullard, Executive Director Mineral Resources along with representatives from the Ministry of Health, Environment Protection Authority, Primary industries, Workcover, Hunter New England Health and Trade and Investment. The Taskforce is the responsible body for the ongoing management of Woodsreef Mine. As part of their management plan they are going to demolish the 8 story Mill House and the former administration office.
The Taskforce also intends to have Crow Mountain Road (AKA The Mine Road) closed. They call this a major rehabilitation project. Pulling down a few hundred tonnes of concrete and steel and closing a road is a major rehabilitation project? What about the 24 million tonne mountain of asbestos tailings eroding away on site? What about the 75 million tonnes of waste rock some of which also contains Chrysotile asbestos? There is currently no long term plan to remediate the site.
Are you concerned about governments’ lack of political will when it comes to mining companies? You should be!
The slide show below shows the Mine in it's early days and how it all started.