JPRS 77360 9 February 1061
Worldwide Report
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
No. 288
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7PRe 77380 9 Pebruary 198)
WORLDWIDE REPORT ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY No. 288
CONTENTS
ASLA AUS TRALTA
PPA Director Attecks Environmental Extremiete (™eE WEST AUS TRALIAN, 29 Nov PPUTITITITITITITITITTTTiTriTiTiT Te i
Young Liberale Adopt Pro-Bevirangentaliat Positions (Serah Chester; THE a, 6 Jan —D — 1
City Council Rapped for Policies on Parke, Creeks (mE COURLER-MAIL, 15 Dec PPPPTTITTIITTTririririririrrirrrririre 5
Firet Steps Taken to Clean Up Pollution of Sydney teaches (mF SYONFY MORNING HERALD, 17 Dec GP occcccccecoceceeeoeoeceees 7
Queensland Areas Included in National Heritage Liet (we. COURTER-MAIL, BU GRO Gi cccccccccceeeccccccccceceeeeccceces 9
Coastal Bushland in South Marked for National Park (mF WEST AUSTRALLAN, l te TP eoceeceeeecceeeceeeeeeees eee eeee 10
fnvironmental Impact on Hunter Valley Mining Noted (Joseph Glascott; THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 29 Nov, 2 tee @).. UV
Conse rvetiuniet's Warning Govern@ent Ban
Coal Mining Will Strain Hunter Valley Reeources (THE SYUNTY MOMNING HERALD, 20 Dec BD)... ccccccce —RXX —RXX 15
Hunter Valley Sepiter Termed Yo Environmental Threat (Peter Terry; THE FINANCIAL AUSTRALIAN, 8 Dee BD)... cccccccccues lj
— @& [Itt = Ww = 139)
Problem Beset Vlanned Alooa Smelter in Port land (THE GCOURTER-MAIL, 25 Nov, 11 Dee @; THE AG, variouw
«)U PPPOSTTTTITILITITILITITILITTTITITTTrTiiririirrrrririrririe — —
Aboriginal Clate
Cont inued Resletance, by Paul Robinson Proposed Law Refore, by Paul Robinson Arteste, Melbourne Protest
Impact Report GQhanges, by Rod Usher Fluoride Bmissicns, by Peter Roberts
Planned Smeltere in Weet Stir Environment aliate (Steve Harvey; THE AUSTRALLAN, 2 Jan Te ccccccceccccececeecece
Smelter May Hare Plante, Livestock But Not People ( HE WEST AUSTRALIAN, i Dec Bp cccccccccccccccceeeeeeeseeeeece
Pressure Grows on NSW To Open Up Sand Mining (Peter Terry; THE FINANCIAL AUSTRALIAN, 18 Dec BD) ccc ccuceeeee
Sand Mining on Fraser leland Banned ‘Por all Tim’ (Veri®us sources, Wariows Gates). ccc cc e ewww eee eweeeeee
Prime Minieter's Statement, by Wallace Brown
Opposing View Mining Industry Retort, by Dee Keegan
Pastoraliete Query Actions of Miners, Bulldozers (Deirdre Pord; THE WEST AUSTRALIAN, is Dec GP ccocccoceececcece
Goneervationiete Oppose Coal Mining Under Park land (Joseph Glascott; THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 15 Dec @).......
Coal-to-O1l Plante Would Bring Wideepread Pollut ton (Peter Robe rts; THE AG, 4 Dec GP ccoccecccooccces sere seer ee
Support for Logging of Washpool Goachwood Igites Row (Catherine Harper; THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 24 Dec @0)......
Clash Over Prankiin, Gordan River Dam Intensifies (Variow eovuroces, verious GOCOB) 6 ccc cece cn weeecuee see se eee
Rivel Plane, by Peter Dwyer
Editorial Opinion
legislative Deadlock, by Andrew Tilt Constitutional leeuwes, by Peter Dvyer National Namifications, by Peter Dwyer
Darling Range Development Causes Environmental Goncem (™E AUS TRALLAR, 28 Wov TPocceoeccceces sere ereeereeeeeeeeee ser
ebe«
24
27
45
Irrigation Licenses Threaten Murray-Darling Rivers
( Ve men Graham; THE AUSTRALIAN, 2 Jan TP ccccecececececeececeee
Rupert Ware Land May Be Devoid of Trees in 100 Years
(Andrew Stone; THE SYDNEY MOMVING HERLAD, 6 Wee BO)... ccc eccens
Thousands of Hectares in North Ruined by Salt Water
( HE SY ONEY MORNING HERALD, 20 Dec — rrr
Industry Report Calle for National Poreet Body
Briefe
(Te WEST AUS TRALLAR, 9 Dec __ PYYTTTTTITITITITTT TTT TTT TTT TTT ee
Cammavon Environmental Group Sydney Parkland
Threat to Canefielde Barrier Reef Park
Murray River Cleanup
Sewage Crackdown Inlet Sand Hunter Valley Smeiter Wellington Salt Level World Heritage Sites Barrier Reef Study
Toxic Waste Dump in Tunnel Suggested
(souT™H GILNA MORN ING POST, 13 Ja GE) cccccccccccccocccccccecces EAST EUROPE
Vater Pollution Control Problem Assessed
Briefs
(AURA, Nov _ ~ PRYUTTTTTTTT TTT TTT TTT TTT TTT TTT TTTTTTTrrrrrrr Tre WEST EUROPE
Environm@ental Pollution
47
46
54
55
57
AUSTRALIA
RPA DIRECTOR ATTACKS ENVIRONMENTAL EXTREMISTS Perth THE WEST AUSTRALIAN in English 29 Nov 80 » 30
[Text) Extremist conservationists and developers have been criticieed by the Environmental Protection Authority.
The director, Mr Colin Porter, said in the EPA's 1979-80 report that the battle between the two extreme views confused the issues. They did not assist the cause of sensible developments or sensible conservation.
He said that some concerned conservationiats took 4 hard line on development, seeing it as the “thin end of the wedge,” and found fault in every proposal.
On the other hand, some people supported development virtually regardless of en- vironmental cost and discounted legitimate concern as being trivial and unimpor- tant in the continuous quest for growth.
Mr Porter said that the EPA tried for a balanced approach in the long-term inter- este of the community and was attacked by both sides.
Preserved
The EPA report, which wae tabled in State Parliament yesterday, cited expediency ae the main enemy of conservation. It had to be fought if the best of the envi- ronment wae to be preserved.
A good case could be made for each individual project, but it had to be considered ae part of the overall picture.
“an environment is rarely destroyed or a conservation reserve lost in one fell gwoop: more often it ia due to a slow process of attrition,” he said.
“Each incremental loss of degradation, may be minor in itself, but cumulatively the losses add up to an unacceptable sacrifice.”
Mr Porter gave some examples: The excision of a small piece of a national park for mining or agriculture; the first subdivision in a scenic rural landscape that set the pattern for more; the polluting discharge, which is insigificant by iteelf but taken with othere, destroyed the ecosystem; and the freeway along the river foreshore.
Outweigh
"The financial advantages may often be seen to outweigh the environmental damage or loss, particularly ae they are often hard to quantify,” he said,
"Yet, no one apart from a few extremists, would be prepared to accept open slather for mining, to have all our rivere fringed with freeways, or to see our foreste whittled away,” he said.
During the year, the EPA completed the environmental review of the North- West Shelf natural gas proposal by Woodside Petroleum Development Pty Led.
Mr Porter said that Australia's biggest resource development had some environ- mental problems, but they should be managed without difficulty provided that the developers exercised care and sympathy for the local environment.
The report was the first review of what the company proposed in terms of work- force and location and was seized on by the Dampier and Karratha communities.
They are disturbed about the impact on their services and facilities and the lack of educational, health and recreational facilities.
CSO: 5000
AUSTRALIA
YOUNG LIBERALS ADOPT PRO-ENVIRONMENTALIST POSITIONS Melbourne THE AGE in English 6 Jan 81 p 4 [Article by Sarah Chester: ‘Save the Franklin, Say the Young uiberale"|
{Text} Hobart--The Young Liberals national conference yesterday condemned the Tasmanian Parliamentary Liberal Party for supporting the State Hydro Electric Commiesion's planned Gordon and Franklin Rivers power scheme.
The conference overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling for the declaration of the Franklin River area as a “wild river’ national park.
The Federal vice-president, Mr Saul Eslake, said that the Tasmnian Liberals were sadly out of touch on the need to preserve the South West Wilderness of Tasmania.
He said four out of five lasmenians between 18 and 25 opposed flooding of the Franklin. He said that a further three out of five Tasmanians under 35, and 90 per cent of Tasmanian students, opposed the flooding. It evoked a great deal of feeling among people throughout Australia, he said.
A resolution moved by the New South Wales branch said the Gordon River should not be dammed below the junction with the Franklin River, and that the Gordon River should not be dammed above the junction with the Franklin River, before an independent professional feasibility study.
The resolution said the study should exhaust all alternative means of meeting Tasmania's energy neede for the foreseeable future. It also said the Franklin River should be declared a wild river national park.
Mr Eslake eaid that the Hydro Electric Commission had overestimated Tasmania's power needa in the past. It was time to determine the econcmic feasibility of other power echemes such as coal from the Fingal Valley and a cable under Bass Strait to transfer power from Victoria.
He said the South West Wilderness attracted $16 million each year from tourism.
The conference amopted a resolution from the Victorian and South Australian branches urging the Federal Government to declare the entire Barrier Reef area a marine park and to ban any ofl drilling.
Mr Eelake said all Australians should be concerned about the future of the reef.
The vice-president of the Victorian branch, Miss Louise Asher, who moved the motion, said the Fraser Government had said there was to be no drilling on the reef, but not enough had been done to protect it.
Mies Asher said that only 2.4 per cent of the reef had been declared a marine park and that the Queensland Government would be a stumbling o)ock to declaring other areas.
She said that one Queensland Minister had remarked that ‘oil is protein, fish can eat it.”
CSO: 5000
AUSTRALIA
CITY COUNCIL RAPTED FOR POLICIES ON PARKS, CREEKS
Brisbane THE COURIER-MAIL in English 15 Dec 80 p 3
|
(Text!) The Queensland Conservation Council has organised a meeting tonight #ith the aim of influencing the Brisbane City Council to change its policies
m urban creeks and parks.
QCC co-ordinator, Ms Liz Bourne, said she did not think the counci! realised the cepth of communicy feeling on the issues.
A lot of people are upset that the council is just going in with bulldozers and turning cree:s into concrete drains,’ she said.
“One group that lived near Mimosa Creek by Garden City Shopping Centre took the council to court and won over this.
"Another group concerned about Bulimba Creek has proved there are alternatives to concreting creeks and dredging them out.
"Through the Australian Littoral Society they have planted about 800 trees provided by the council along the banks of the river.
"The trees are helping to restore the banks and so revitalise the creeks.”
She sald the Sir John Chandler Park Association, which had successfully fought the Long Pocket Golf course issue, wanted to get theese various. groups together as they realised their case wae not an isolated issue. It was Brisbane-wide.
Me Bourne said the OCC was continually being contacted about parkland being rutned by either counct] rubbish dumps or spraying operatiors.
She hoped concerned citizens as well as the 10 or 12 recently-formed community environmental groups would attend tonight's meeting at the BCC environment cen- tre tn Ann Street at /:30,
‘he meeting was expected to form a committee to lobby the council on these Lasues,
it wee likely to discuss topics like the intrusions on public parkland by such vroupe as Meale on Wheels and the Girl Guides. In South Srisbane, a gravel | even taken over part of a public park.
"The demands on these public areas are increasing," Me Bourne waid, “As fuel prices get higher poople will be looking to more local suburban locations for a lot of their recreation.
"They will be a lot poorer without them."
The meeting would also consider alternatives to the council's flood mitigation achemes. It was anxious to ensure Oxley Creek was not headed for the same fate ae kedron Brook.
"You'd think the council would have learnt something from te 1974 flood and developed a long-term land use plan,” Ms Bourne said.
"Inetead of turning the creeks into concrete drain pipes they could prevent people building in flood-prone areas and use those areas as pa kland.
“Then rather than destroy the natural habitats for wildlife they would create corridors for the wildlife to move through.”
CSO: 5000
AUSTRALLA
FIRS) STEPS TAKEN TO CLEAN UP POLLUT NN . YDNEY BEACHES
yor (HE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD in ‘teh 17 Dee 80 pl
[Text] The State Government is calling tenders today for the first work on a sewerage disposal system that could end the pollution of Sydney beaches by brown ateina, obnoxious froth and grease by the late 1980s.
‘ubmarine sewers, runniag up to 3.5 km to sea from the existing treatment lant {1! take advantage of coastal currents to disperse the effluent before hack to shore.
‘he Premter, Mr Wran, last night described the tenders, for exploratory drilling miv, ae (‘a major advance towards the construction of deenpvater submarine out falle at North Head, Bondi and Malabar.”
He would not commit himself to a timetable for starting or fin ishing the major n the outfalls which are expected to cost at Least $100 million at today’ ricea,
Mut if the project goes ahead as fast as Water Board engineers hope, it could iniahed by he late 19806.
‘tr Wran said the exploratory drilling would provide rock cores from beneath thy ee ed tc guide the Sydney Water Board in fixing the precise routes for the
ders, which the board was calling in Australia and vuvereeas, would close ruary 17 with a view to @ prompt start on the work.
ing to Water Board officials, more than 900 mill on litres a day of esewnge, treated to varying degrees, is poured into the "acific from plants » che metropolitan coastline.
ag the three mator plants at %ondi, North Head and Malabar, there are sile at Warriewood in the north and Cronulla in tle south.
nd Warrtewood are considered minor problems besid> conditions around
7 vf
The exieting plants have been unable to stay within strict lim’ts on bacterial content set by the State Pollution Control Commission, althoug. the board says ite effivent has “generally” conformed to then,
The problem of beach effluent has become the most offensive during industria! (rouble at the pumping stations, when raw sewage has been discharged, and during adverse comb‘natione of currente and on shore winds.
The worst aspect of sewage pollution for Sydneysiders has ben grease, from both human and industrial sources, which escapes the treatrent process.
it gete between joggers’ toes at dawn, sticks to the bodies of sunbakerse and causes thousands of board ridere to wear wet suite even during the late summer, When @ea temperatures are high.
The Maroubra and Malabar areas have been consistently the worst affected by pollution, The nearby Malabar outlet discharges almost half rhe efflvent pro- duced by Sydney's three million people and ite industries.
The Water Board, which regards the tunnels as the only practicable solution to beach and Harbour sewage pollution, has already selected tentative routes based on sonar, sei@mic and magnetic etudies.
The board te considering tunnele about three metres in dianeter. Construction would start with either vertical shafts or sloping adite (entr: nce tunnels) sunk in the coastal cliffe at the existing treatment and discharge stations
at North Head, Bindi and Malabar.
Then the outfall tunnele would be cut by “moles” similar to the machine used to build sections of the Fastern Suburbs Railway.
Diffueer ehafte at the sea end of the tunrele would diecharpe the sewage into the ocean at between 45 and 75 metres beneath the surface.
Mr Wren said, “The fact that our prized bathing beaches can at times be effected by eewage effivent ia just not tolerable in our society.
CSD 5000
AUSTRALIA
QUEENSLAND AREAS INCLUDED IN NATIONAL HERTTAGE LIST Srlehbane THE COURLTER-MAIL in English 27 Nov 80 p 17
[Text] Mosc of Moreton Island and the Mount Etna lime- atone caves of central Queensland have been included on
the Auetralian Heritage Commission's national estate regiete..
A commteston spokesman said yesterday the commission had made .te decisions, but had not yet advertieed them officially.
He eaid the whole of Moreton Island, excluding four townehis areas, had been registered. The townshipe were Bulwer, Cowan Cowan, Tangalcoma and Kooringal.
The Australian Speleological Federation vice-president, Mr Glenn Pure, said yesterday the listing of the 46 bat-populated caves at Mount Etna was 4 victory in the battle against limestone mining.
“Mr Pure eaid the listing followed evaluation by a panel of ind»pendent experts and obfectiona rateed by the Queensland Premier's Department to the listing were found to be not applicable or inconclusive by the experts “
Yesterday Mr Pure handed the Deputy Premier, Dr Edwards, a letter asking him for Liberal Party views about the Mount Etna protection issue.
r 'dwarde eaid the government had not been informed officially of the Australian feritage Commiesion's decision. He was not prepared to comment until he had
eeen foll detatie of the claseification.
The ot»ber new Heritage Commission listings in Queensland are 4 email area on trible ‘aland; Cooloola estate forest and national park; Coaletuun Lakes; north- weet of Gympie; Buatard Bay near Miriam Vale; Corio Bay and Shoalwater Bay; the Conway Ranges near Procerpine; Lake Buchanan, 100 km south-weat of Charters
‘owe re. tftdal wetlands nerr Cairne; an area between Daintree and Cooktown; and nore setern part of Cape York.
AUSTRALIAN
COASTAL BUSHLAND IN SOUTH MARKED FOR NATIONAL PARK Perth THE WEST AUSTRALIAN in English 1 Dec 60 p 10
[Text] The government hae consolidated and set aside 149 square kilometres of coastel bushland as an A-clase reserve for the proposed south-oast national park.
The Minieter for Lands, Mr Wordeworth, yesterday announced the formal garetta! and vesting of crown land in the National Parke Authority.
We said that the reserve consiste. of several big parcele of land.
it atretched over about 58 kilometres of coast from north of the Connelly River to south of the Meerup River.
The extensive Walpole-Nornalup national park already formed part of the proposed south-coaet national park.
Mr Wordeworth ea.d that another three A-clase reserves totalling 17 eq km next to the newly vested parkland were expected to be ready to be considered for consolidation in the next session of Parliament, together with any other land that might become available efter the current review of lease-nold land in the area.
The new land, identified as Reserve No 16996, had been namer the D'Entrecastreaux national park section of the proposed south-coast national park.
Thie section, which aleo included Reserves No 26628, 28478 and 28479, totalled 166 og in.
Undertaking
Vesting of the new 49 oq km in the south-coast national park honoured 4 govern- ment undertaking that 4 significant area of land would be set rside for the pur- pose before Christmas.
Mr Masters said that the proposed south-coast national park was part of 4 com- prehensive system of national parks and nature reserves being established
throughout WA.
see ’ 4nd torme and ec oaeveter 2?
‘tenaeive ~«@ pe for ac 1e@ntirt 3 pie Of WA the oppertuntit t et a.
2 rla@ina, heritage
AUSTRALIA
“NVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF HUNTER VALLEY MINING NOTED Conservationiet's Warning
Sydney THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD in English 29 Now 80 p 4
[Article by Joseph Glascott: “Coal Mine Moonscape Warning in .he Hunter’)
[Text) Vast areie of the Hunter Valley would become polluted moonecapes if planned coal mining went ahead, the conservationiet, Mr Milo Lunphy, said yee- terday.
Mr Dunphy, the director of the Total Environment Centre, said he State Govern- ment had approved 22 new coal mines, including huge etrip @ines, in the valley.
Development coste of the new mines were estimated by the G.vernment @ $1, 200 aillion.
The proposed mines, north-eset end south-weet of Muswell-brook would leave the town “an telend among open-cut coal excavations,” he said.
“The huge proposed exploitetion of coal from the Hunter Valiey is another big problem of the valley's indvetrialisation, apart from the pletned sluminiue emelters, he said,
"Most of thie coal will be exported.
“The Covernmment, by ite rush to exploit the coal reserves of the State, ts ignoring the fact that coal te the State's mafor power resource.
“The Government should be following ⸗ policy of coal conservation rather than one of saxtmum exploitation.”
Mr Dunphy said that Dr B. J. Rigby, of the CSRO, had estimated in surveys that at the present rete of exploitation, Auetralia’s coal reserves would be depleted within 75 yea:
Geverrment Ban Sydney THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD tn English 2 Dee 80 p } [Article by Joseph Glascott: ‘“Gevt Serape Plane for Hunter Valley Coalmine’|
[Text] Conservationists won an important first round in the ‘taht against infuetriailieation of the Hunter Valley yesterday when the State Government de tded net to go ahead with 4 large open-cut coalmine at Eraring.
Objections from the Environment and Planning Department for ed the NSW Elec trictty Commission to withdraw ite proposal for the mine which would have aerved tte huge new Traring Power Station protect.
he Minteter for Planning and Environment, Mr Bedford, said yenterday the with- ‘rawe! followed an assesement of the commiaesion's environmenta! impact etate ent for the protect by officers of hie department.
If the protect had gone ahead the mine would have caused ‘significant environ mental degradation’ to the Cooranbong-Lake Macquarie area, he said.
fut Mr Bedford refused to release hie department's report although he said hy
J
woul oneider requests for ite release and take advice
“r Sedford, at a preas conference, sought to play down hi« department's role in the Electricity Commission decteion, apparently to avoid conflict between Government departmente.
However, the Env’ ronment ad Planning Department's objections to the Fraring protect could set a precedent for other proposed developmenta in the Hunter
silewv.,
A public exhibition of the Electricity Commission mine proposa. attracted more than 130 private submissions and more than 1,000 representatiors.
iy one submieston, that of the Flectricity Commission, supported the project ‘t+ Sed'ord eaid hie Jepartment's sasesament objected to the proposed mine on the grounda of noise, duet, water pollution and blasting effecre on the sur-
cing area
he huge open-cut gine wae proposed between Cooranbong and Toronto, west of ‘ke Macquarie.
would have supplied coal to the $1,000 million power station of four 660 epewett unite now under construction and due for partial completion in 198}-*4
Mr Sedford eald that the proposed sine would be completely out of character the local environment.
13
‘'Thte wae clearly demonstrated by the extent of the opposition to the proposal.”
‘We sald the Environment and Planning Department had suggested that the Elec- ‘ricitty Commission should consider alternative coal resources "
‘he deciteton on Eraring te expected to have an important bearing on considera~ tion of future applications for coal mines, power stations and aluminium emelit- ere in the Hunter Valley.
Me Bedford eaid the number of submissions opposing the fraring mine wae not the moat important factor.
“My department's responsibility ie to ensue [as published! tha’ proposed devel- pmhente do not create environmental problems beyond control,” he said.
“Induetrial projects cannot be built without some disturbance but it must be kept to «4 minimum.”
Asked about requests by conservationists for a regional study of the proposed Hunter Valley smelter and associated developments Mr Bedford seid hie depart- ment considered the overall effect with each individual project.
cso: $000
14
AUSTRALIA
COAL NINING WILL STRAIN HUNTER VALLEY RESOURCES
Sydney THE SYDNE” MORNING HERALD in English 20 Dec 80 p 5
[Text] A confidential report by the Department of Planning and Environment has forecast that the population of the Singleton, Muswellbrook ani Scone local government areas could jump from 33,000 to 57,000 by 1986.
The report is aimed at identifying areas needing facilities for the expanding population reeulting from the coal-mining boom in the Upper Hunter.
It saye that ae 4 rewult of coal mining and electricity generation, 6,500 jobs will be created in the upper Hunter--3,500 in coal mining, 550 at the Baya- water Power Station and 2,550 in ancilliary industries.
Theee figures applied to permanent increases in the work force and excluded construction workers.
The report suggests that 90 per cent of the additional workforce will choose to live in the Singleton Muewellbrook-Scone area.
Singleton and Muewellbrook would be moet affected by the influx.
Between 1980 and 1982, about 555 workers and their families would move to Singleton, and 325 to Muswellbrook.
And between 1962 and 1986 thie would rise to 1,100 new workers in Singleton and 1,350 in Muewellbrook.
According to the report, Singleton will suffer most from the strain on its services.
Water supply and sewerage would be of perticular concern.
Singleton water supply is drawn from the Hunter River through wells and the report saye it ie now operating at maximum capacity supplying the 8,750 people connected to the eupply.
The report says Singleton's sewerage system is in poor condition. Its present
capacity is eaid to be 6,500 pwople, less than the present population, and it would cost about $2 million to bring the system up to standard.
15
Muswellbrook's min problem wae identifies as a shortage of land for residen- tial development. [as published)
The report saye private owners have been reluctant to sell or wubdivide their land and it may be necessary to resume land.
The report recommends that the Upper Hunter councils be given their normal loan allocations over longer terme to overcome initial financing problems.
The report says Singleton and Muswellbrook councils have requested shop-term planning assistance.
C80: 5000
16
AUSTRALIA
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AUSTRALIA
PROBLEMS BESET PLANNED ALCOA SMELTER IN PORTLAND
Aboriginal Claim Brisbane THE COURIER-MAIL in English 25 Nov 80 p 17 [Text] Melbourne--A Supreme Court judge yesterday dismissed an action by two Aboriginal women who claimed Alcoa was interfering with tribal relics on a construction site at Portland in south-western Victoria.
Mr Justice Brooking said the action had been shown to be “hopeiess.”’
Last week the women obtained a Supreme Court injunction which halted const ruc- tion at Alcoa's $400 million aluminium smelter at Portland.
Mr Justice Brooking said yesterday the women had failed to make out a case under the Archaeological Preservation Act 1972.
The women, Mrs Lorraine Sandra Onus and Mrs Christina Isobel Frankland of Portland, described themselves as the custodians of sacred relics and sites of the Gournditch-Jmara people. They claimed construction of the smelter would damage Aboriginal relics.
Mr J. Dwyer, QC, for the women, told the judge they would appeal against the decision. He asked for a temporary injunction until the appeal was heard. Dr C. L. Pannam, QC, for Alcoa, opposed the application.
Mc Justice Brooking said because of his view of the case and the evidence of the losses Alcoa would sustain if the injunction was granted, it would be wrong to grant the injunction.
Continued Resistance Melbourne THE AGE in English 1 Dec 80 p 3
[Article by Paul Robinson: "Blacks Set for War of Words on Alcoa Site’)
[Text] Bulldoze.s are expected to
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Proposed Law Reform Melbourne THE AGE in English 1 Dec 80 p 1 [Article by Paul Robinson: "“Toughen Up On Sacred Sites: Law Body”)
[Excerpt] An Australian Law Reform Commission discussion paper has proposed that Government has proposed that Governments take wider powers to protect Aboriginal sacred sites.
The paper, part of a commission inquiry into whether Australians should recog- nise Aboriginal customary law, has proposed that trespassing on or desecrating sacred sites and objects be made a criminal offence.
The chairman of the commission, Mr Justice Kirby, said yesterday that the proposals could require the Federal and State Governments to draw up a national list of Aboriginal sacred sites.
This could be difficult because tribal laws and sacred site locations were often secret and known only by a select group of the tribe. Mr Justice Kirby said this could be overcome by making the location of sites on the list confi- dential.
Arrests, Melbourne Protest Brisbane THE COURIER-MAIL in English 11 Dec 80 p 19 [Text] Melbourne.--Six conservationists chained them- selves to the doors of Alcoa's Melbourne offices yester-
day following the arrest of 16 Aboriginal protesters at Portland, in south-west Victoria.
The conservationists, members of the Portland Action Group, spent two hours chained to the entrance of the office, on the l6th floor of the AMP building in Bourke Street, before deciding to leave voluntarily. Police were alerted, but were not called in.
The conservationists etaged the demostration in protest at the arrest of the Aboriginals yesterday morning on the site of Alcoa's $350 miliion aluminium emelter at Portland.
Police moved in at 9:30 a.m. to arrest the Aboriginals afte> they ignored a demand by company officials to leave the site.
The Aboriginals had been camped on the site for three months in protest at the destruction of alleged sacred tribal sites and relice.
| Work began on thr 400-hectare site at Point Danger, five kilometres west of Portland, last week, despite a protest by Aboriginals and conservationiste. 7
The Aboriginals were allowed to remain on the site with their 12 tents because : they were camped on a road easement which was still officially crown land. |
But yesterday morning, Alcoa's Portland smelter project manager, Mr Clive Hilde- brand, arrived at the protest camp at 7 am with a letter from Portland Council saying the easement now was Alcoa property.
The Aboriginals were given two hours to leave before police mowed in to make arrests. The arreste were made quietly and no incidents were reported. Police later removed _._ protesters' tents.
The 12 men and four women were charged with trespase and relecsed on bail to | appear in Portland Court on January 14. |
A spokesman for the Aboriginale said new ways of protesting against the emelter were being considered.
Impact Report Changes Melbourne THE AGE in English 4 Dec 80 p 3 [Article by Rod Lesher: "Alcoa Evaluation Was Rewritten")
[Text] Alcoa this week passed the final Government test (the Foreign Invest- ment Review Board) on siting ite aluminium emelter at Portland. But one of the most important tests the company had to pass--the environmental one--may have been done with considerable help from the examiner, the Ministry for Conserva- tion.
The Ministry's assessment of the effect Alcoa's chosen site at Portland will have on the environment was rewritten at a late stage. The rewrite reversed the conclusions of an earlier assessment which said that the smelter should not be on the site chosen by the company.
One environment protection group said yesterday that the assessment finally issued by the Ministry called into question the credibility of the environment effects assessment process.
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The Minister for Conservation, Mr Houghton, yesterday described suggestions that pressure had been exerted to have the assesement rewritten as "bilge." He said no political pressure had been put on him, and he had aot pressured anybody himself.
The Ministry received 124 submissions on the Portland site from Government departments, conservation groups and individuals. Only five of them agreed that the smelter should be on the site proposed by Alcoa.
Among those bodies opposed to Alcoa's choice were the environment studies division of the .finistry for Conservation, the National Parks Service, the Department of Crown Lande and Survey, the Victorian Archaeological Survey and the Royal Botanic Gardens and National Herbarium.
The choice of location for the emelter was between the western site, an area of cleared grazing land, and the eastern site, part of a stretch of heachland t'at rune down to the coastline of Portland Bay (see map). The sites are almost equidistant from the town of Portland.
Before it wae rewritten, the assessment by the Ministry decidec: "To protect the ecenic value of the coastline, to provide an open space bu.ifer between the smelter and the coastline, and to retain a major part of the heathland, the smelter should be on the western location.”
The published conclusion was: ‘Considering all the issues concerning the two alternative smelter locations, the proposal (the eastern location) is believed to be preferable because of the importance that must be attached to air emissions and their effects on the town of Portland, and should be acopted. It should be recognised, however, that the proposal will severely affect the viability of
the heathland area.”
The original draft said: "As far as can be determined, there is no substantial difference between the two emelier locations fromthe point of view of the disper- sion of air emisrions and the anticipated effect on Portland.”
There {se aleo evidence that the summary and conclusions were watered down be- fore publication. On air emissions, the original conclusion was: “The health authorities have advised that human health would not be affected by emissions from the plant. However, the predicted emission levels for fluoride give rise for concern because of their potential effect on vegetation, particularly in view of the emelter's close proximity to the town.”
In the published report, the first sentence remains the sare, but then reads: “However, the predicted emission levels of fluoride are such that there could be an effect on vegetation. No effect on animals grazing affected vegetation ie anticipated."
In another alteration, the words "the heathland area" were changed to “some foreshore vegetation.’ The heathland has been a particularly sensitive iss:e in the arguments over the smelter. Some of the animals there are rare and at least one flower, Mellblom's spider orchid, is unique to the heathland.
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Both the Minietry fer Conservation aul Aleos say that the decision on the eastern or heathland site was based on information that air emissions over the town of Portiand would be greater from the western site, The deputy director of con- servation at the Minietry, Mr Grahame Swarts eaid he though the in-showed that prevaliing winde would be more likely to carry fluoride emiasions toward the town from the weetern cide, [ee published)
Asked about the original etatement that there wae “no substantial difference” between the two elites for air emissions, Mr Swarts said the thought the infor- mation on wind sovements had “come in quite late.”
Apart ‘rom the more radical conservation groupe, some of the Government depart - mente which made eubmiasions to the Mintetry on the Portland assesement clearly have reservations about the decision taking process. The summary of the Crown Lands Department submission saye: “The statement appeare to have proceeded fro# the desire to justify an apparent prior decision to construct the emelter on the eastern site rather than effectively examining 411 the proposals to reach 4 logical decision on the appropriate location.”
The director of the Australian Conservation Poundation, Dr Jef! Mosley, eaid vesterday: “lt ie clear that the vical decieione--to have » emelter at Portiand, to have 4 tranemiesion line, to supply the power--were taken before the environ- ment etudies were mede. It should be the other way around.”
Mr Philip Sutton, of the Environment Action Centre, which is supporting the prese- ent occupation of the emelter eite by Aborigines, said the real intent of the aseecament hed boven revereed. There wae no dowbt that the emelter should not
be there, he eatd,
Fluoride Pmiseions Melbourne THE AGE im English 6 Dec 60 p 3 [Article by Peter Roberte: “Area Fluoride Count Will Be High: Study")
| Text Fluoride emiestons proposed by Alcoes Australia for ite Portland Sme!- ter are 40 per cent higher then those allowed in the United Stctes.
Thie te « finding of « State Government study of pollution control technology betne emploved at US aluminium emelitere.
The etudy, by Mr Peter Ramesay, a senior air quality officer with the Environ- ment Protection Authority, recommends that Alcos be required to use the best pollution technology available. Mr Ramsay recommends that the EPA should licenwe Alcoa to allow the diecharge of one kilogramme of fluoride for every tonne of aluminium it produces (1.0 kg/tonne). Alcoa's design for Portland allows for the releare of 1.36 ke/tonne.
By comparteon, the Tomago group hase plans for a new smelter in the Hunter Valley which will release 0.76 kg/tonne-just over half that planned for Portlend. ‘Sweltere in the United States are operating with emissions as low ae 0.52 ke/tonne.
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Fluoride, inthe form of gases and solids, builds up in the leaves of plants causing them to wither and die, Livestock which eat affected »lante can develop bone lesions and lameness.
Alcos aime to control fluoride emissions by ‘scrubbing’ gases drawn from the pote where alur‘nium ia emelted. Alcoa has developed a highly efficient syetem which reduces potiine emissions to only 0.27 ke/tone. But the company hae not proposed controlling fluoride emissions from two other sources at its Portland emeiter. These are emissions from the emelter's roof vente (0.84 kg/tonne) and from the production of the amelting electrodes (0.27 kg/tonne).
Mr Rameay recommends that electrode production be limited to 0.05 kg/tonne. All new emeltere in the US have been required to meet thie standard since 1976.
“Technology ie available to limit fluoride emissions from the Alcoa Portland emelter to 1.0 ky/tonne,” Mr Rameay eaid in hie report. He said thie standard would allow for the occasional release of emiesions up to 1.25 ke/tonne.
“If the preferred method of control ia# included in the firet stage of the emel- ter, damage to vegetation should be confined to areas close to the emelter,” Mr Rameay said. “Thie approach should ensure that the bene!icial uses of the receiving environment beyond an adequate buffer zone are maintained.”