Olympic Dam expansion – update

Nectaria October 28, 2015

Since the expansion was shelved in 2012, BHP Billiton has announced its intention to investigate heap leach mining as an alternative, cheaper method of processing mined ore.

In July 2014 the company projected that pending government approvals, construction of a heap leach demonstration plant would begin in the second half of 2015, with a 36 month trial period beginning late 2016. In August 2014 the company received Federal approval for a heap leach demonstration plant. It is yet to receive state approval, and reports suggest that it is yet to be sought, with recent comments in the media by SA Premier Jay Weatherill suggesting that even the state government is unclear about the company’s intentions regarding this project.

It’s been reported that the company has been conducting laboratory trials at Wingfield, South Australia, and that they have been so successful that BHP may skip the demonstration plant stage and progress straight to a full scale facility.

BHP has until October 2016 to proceed with an expansion under the approvals given for the expansion it shelved in 2012. Even though heap leach processing was not considered under its original Environmental Impact Statement, the Federal government approved the trial without requiring any further environmental assessment.

FoE

This Changes Everything: the Movie

roman October 18, 2015

This Changes Everything is an epic documentary by Avi Lewis (The Take) about everyday people responding to the impacts of climate change. It’s inspired by Naomi Klein’s international bestseller of the same title, and looks at the catastrophic consequences of our economic system through the eyes of seven diverse communities.

Having seen the trailer at Naomi’s talk in Sydney, I’d recommend catching the screening at the Piccadilly on Nov 2nd

This Changes Everything

Monday, November 02 6:30PM – 8:30PM

at Wallis Cinemas Piccadilly

181 O’Connell St., North Adelaide, SA, AU, 5006 (map)

$20.00 AUD General

Tickets from tugg: https://www.tugg.com/events/69380

FoE

from the mouths of babes…

roman October 18, 2015

“if you want to … cut carbon emissions … in a very substantial way to the levels that the scientists are telling us we need to do by mid-century to avoid dangerous climate change, then a direct action policy where … industry was able to freely pollute, if you like, and the government was just spending more and more taxpayers’ money to offset it, that would become a very expensive charge on the budget in the years ahead.”

Malcolm Turnbull, commenting on Direct Action on Lateline, 2011 see Lenore Taylor’s article in the guardian

FoE

Stop the TPP – email your Senators!

robyn October 7, 2015

FoE Adelaide are very concerned about the recent agreement of theTrans Pacific Partnership. GetUp are running a campaign to make it easy to email your Senators to ask them to oppose the Investor State Dispute Resolution Service (provisions that would allow foreign corporations to sue governments for making laws that could hurt their bottom line) and to formally oppose the TPP. FoE encourages members and friends to email their Senators and the GetUp link makes it easy.

“Stop the TPP in the Senate

After a marathon round of negotiations in Atlanta, the 12 negotiating countries have reached an agreement on the monstrous Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal.

While widespread public opposition to the TPP, gave Trade Minister Robb little room to sell out Australians’ access to affordable medicines, we still don’t know the details of the agreement!

Even though the deal has been finalised, the details of the agreement still remain a secret – as we all know, the devil’s in the details.

We do know that the TPP still includes ISDS provisions that will allow multinational corporations to sue Australian governments, putting our health care system and environmental standards at risk.

However, it’s not over yet. The TPP legislation still needs to make it through the Senate, where Labor and the crossbench senators’ votes will be critical.

We’ve heard some strong words against ISDS provisions, but it will take more than words to stop a bad deal from getting over the line. We need to know where the senators stand.

Can you contact your senator and call on them to oppose the agreement in the Senate?

What can Labor and the crossbenchers do right now?

While it won’t be possible for Parliament to modify the text of the agreement, the Senate will have an opportunity to vote on the TPP deal at large. Labor and the crossbenchers could commit to stand against the TPP by voting against the implementing legislation in the Senate.

Your senator could confirm that they oppose the ISDS provisions in the TPP. These provisions, would allow foreign corporations to sue governments for making laws that could hurt their bottom line. We know that the Howard Government and the Gillard Government have stood against ISDS provisions in trade deals with the US in the past.

Your senator could formally oppose the TPP. Right now, the Australian public has few details on the deal, and what we do know tells us that the costs very likely outweigh the benefits. Your senator could come out in opposition to the TPP”.

FoE

Climate Change Strategy for SA – invitation to contribute

robyn October 7, 2015

The SA government is inviting input into its Climate Change Strategy. The Adelaide city workshop is on Thursday 8 October.

Details here

There are a number of ways you can have your say and help shape South Australia’s Climate Change Strategy.

1. WORKSHOPS – Come along to one of the workshops being held across South Australia. More information here.

2. ONLINE DISCUSSION – Join the discussion:

3. SUBMISSIONS – Provide a submission directly to the project team:

Post: Climate Change Team, GPO Box 1047 Adelaide SA 5001
Online submission: upload your written or typed submission here. These submissions will be published on YourSAy – please mark your submission as CONFIDENTIAL if you do not want your submission shared.
For general enquiries, email: climatechange@sa.gov.au

FoE