Guidance on dealing with Mining Applications and EIAs

While we generally support progress and legitimate mining applications and expansions, there are some that threatens to destroy the environment where tourism thrive or agriculture will be lost.  After receiving many     questions from members and chambers regarding some of the latest ‘dodgy’ ones around the area, I promised to provide some guidance.

Do not ignore it—no matter how flimsy and sloppy it looks, a little notice on a tree, a tiny advertisement in a paper with no date on it, anything—it will be treated as legitimate if you do not respond.

Register as an interested an affected party, using the reference number of the application as a reference on your email.  There should be a contact email on the notice.  Inform them in writing you wish to register as and    interested and affected party, the name of the organisation you represent and your name and designation in the organisation.  Also state the relation or mandate—you are nearby, you represent the interests of tourism, etc.  Request acknowledgement of receipt and hound them until you get one.

After that you will receive the EIA and application documentation and/or you will be invited to a meeting (sometimes under a tree or next to the road—do not ignore it).  I recommend that you enlist an environmental specialist to go through the documents and guide you regarding questions you should put to them at the meeting.  They have to minute and mitigate all the concerns in their final application.  You will have to spend money on a consultant and maybe lawyers to fight an application if it is undesirable, until they withdraw.

They can be relentless and apply again and again under different names.  Do not ignore it!  You will have to start all over again each time!