Independent Environmental campaigner David Noonan has labelled the time period given to scrutinise updates to legislation governing BHP’s Roxby Downs mine as a “farce”, while the Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis says opponents want to “thwart this investment”.
BHP seeks 50-year mining rights to expand Olympic Dam mine, as SA Labor Ministers ignore public submissions input. Mining and Energy Minister Tom Koutantonis said public submissions were “not relevant”, including from Traditional Owners and the Aboriginal Voice to Parliament.
BHP and the State Government have agreed on a Roxby Downs Bill and new Indenture to govern Olympic Dam and associated mining expansions for the next 50 years. This is a re-run of precedence being given to big mining vested interests that has typified SA from back in 1982. It sets in train potentially long term BHP demand for water from the Great Artesian Basin in the driest State, with ongoing harm to the fragile and culturally significant Mound Springs.
See the articles linked below.
ABC article (15 June 2026): Concerns over Great Artesian Basin water impacts in new BHP agreement
InDaily article (15 June 2026): Outrage as days given to comment on new BHP deal with govt
FOE Adelaide also sent a letter to the Aboriginal Affairs Minister Kyam Maher asking for Traditional Owners submissions to be respected and listened to, especially the one from the Voice to Parliament. Ignoring them and calling them “irrelevant” makes a mockery of the whole Voice to Parliament project. We asked for the vote on the Bill in the Upper House to be stopped, and for proper hearings to be held after the Parliamentary winter break. When we phoned Minister Maher’s office today we were told our letter “had been taken into consideration”. See attached letter.