North's Mining OperationsKilling WaterbirdsNorth Ltd's mining operations in Western New South Wales have come under fire as a result of the death of thousands of waterbirds at the company's Northparkes gold mine during the 1995 drought. Northparkes is 20% owned by Sumitomo Corporation22 to whom North has supplied woodchips in the recent past.23 The birds were attracted to the mine's cyanide-laden tailings dam.23 Company literature distributed to shops and schools around the mine referred to "some bird deaths".24 Mine manager Dick Swann, later publicly admitted about 2,700 birds had been killed over the course of a few weeks.25 A Sixty Minutes documentary depicted at least 1,000 dead birds, including swans, freckled ducks and gulls. It is possible that more birds may have been buried under the tails that are pumped daily into the dam.26 To obtain gold from a vein ore the ore has to crushed into a powder and is removed by a leaching process that requires the use of cyanide. The waste ore, still containing cyanide and heavy metals, form the tailings that are deposited in tails dams. The Northparkes tails dam is approximately 1.5 square kilometres. Tails dams are designed to manage waste at minimum cost. While rehabilitation of contaminated sites is considered by mining companies when building tails dams, companies do not generally address the issues of lifetime stability, acid waste drainage, lateral and vertical leakage of contaminated waste water, and the protection of birds, plants and animals.26 The simple ionic cyanides, most notably hydrogen cyanide, are extremely toxic to animals. For humans, a dose of 100-200 mg is lethal, while 5 micro grams per litre are considered dangerous to aquatic life. Guidelines for drinking water require that 0.1 mg per litre should not be exceeded. Hydrogen cyanide is a poison that can be ingested, inhaled, or can enter the body through the skin. It effects the respiratory system, preventing cells from using oxygen. The poison is fast acting, and has been used as a method of execution in gas chambers.26
Northparkes: RR Fall-Out?North has now accepted responsibility for the bird deaths and cyanide is no longer used at the plant, However, Northparkes remains dogged by disasters. A worker was killed when a wall collapsed in one of the open pits, and there have been other environmental problems - including toxic spills (which were fortunately contained). Stock deaths on the surrounding properties is another problem that locals attribute to emissions from the plant, although North disputes this. However, the company has offered to buy out the owner of the nearest property, who has continually claimed that the sulfurous fumes from the copper smelting process have exacerbated his asthma and harmed his stock.92
Lake Cowal: North Nearly Gets Carte BlancheDespite numerous objections, North Ltd was given the go-ahead for another venture, the North Lake Cowal Gold Project, situated 100 km south west of Northparkes by the New South Wales Commission of Inquiry. Lake Cowal is one of NSW's premier wetlands and a haven for waterbirds. Four tails dams, lying partly within the National Estate-listed wetland, were proposed, covering an area of approximately 2.4 square kilometres.8 In 1992 the Australian Heritage Commission had determined that "mining will not endanger the site", which it subsequently revised after the Northparkes disaster,, insisting that the dams be netted to avoid use by birds. 27 North's public relations manager Chris Oldfield claimed that this measure, along with a gas gun and floating obstructions, would deter birds from landing.28 Such measures would do nothing to prevent cyanide leakage. The Federal Government has released a series of information modules on mining management, one of which relates to tails structures. One document promotes the use of liners to prevent tails dam leakage. Labor Environment Minister Faulkner launched the modules in conjunction with Campbell Anderson, Director of North Ltd, at a public relations event on August 5, 1995. Despite the hype, North indicated it would not be lining its Lake Cowal tails dams, and the Australian Government is doing little to change mining practices.26Lake Cowal is a site of very high waterbird concentration. The lake is semi-permanent or "ephemeral", which leads to periodic arrivals and departures of nomadic birds. Evidence from WA indicates that the greatest threat of poisoning occurs when lakes dry up, as the birds are attracted to the water remaining in the tails dams. While it is claimed that the cyanide content at the Lake Cowal dams will be limited, there is still a possibility that free cyanide in solution could volatilise as hydrogen cyanide. The high salinity of the dams could also harm the birds if the water is ingested. Furthermore, claims that cyanide was being recovered and that tailings were being detoxified at Northparkes proved to be untrue.29 North's refusal to line its dams also increases the risk of cyanide leakage. In addition to the direct threat to waterbirds is the issue of groundwater contamination. Tails dams also produce heavy metals and hypersaline water in addition to cyanide which can accumulate as "ground water mounds" underneath and in the vicinity of the dams. Such groundwater can kill normally salt-resistant plants within a matter of days.26 In a surprise move, NSW Premier Bob Carr has overridden the Commission of Inquiry recommendations and stopped the project. There is little doubt that the controversy surrounding the Northparkes mine played a significant part in the decision. It also indicates that the threats posed to Lake Cowal by such a project were not considered acceptable over the longer term. With so much money having been expended, it is unlikely that the Lake Cowal project has been shelved indefinitely, especially as there are unconfirmed rumours that the pressure is on for Bob Carr to agree to an "improved" project |
North Forest Products - "North Broken Forests"Chief Executive North Forest Products is the name now given to the North group of companies involved in native forest and plantation exploitation and was previously known as Associated Pulp and Paper Mills (founded in 1936). NFP was created in November 1993, when APPM's paper manufacturing and merchanting assets (in particular the Burnie and Wesley Vale paper mills, The Paper House and Dalton Fine Papers) were sold to Australian Paper, the paper-making division of AMCOR Ltd for $413 million.2 NFP is involved in the clearfelling of native forests across Tasmania, and is the world's largest exporter of hardwood eucalypt woodchips, with a current Federal export licence of 1,878,000 tonnes per annum.23 Plans to increase these exports by a further two-stage export licence application of 700,000 tonnes total was turned down by the Federal Labor Government in December 1995, pending the signing of a Regional Forest Agreement with Tasmania. Once the RFA is signed, the Federal Government plans to relax its export controls of native forest woodchips, and this woodchip increase may well go ahead, either as export or to supply domestic ventures. 30 In January 1996, the Tasmanian Government signed the first stage in the RFA process - the Interim Forest Agreement. The signing of the IFA has given North some of the increase it is seeking.21 In addition, the company is already providing AMCOR with 310,000 tonnes, 32 with plans to increase this to 500,000 tonnes.33 In our opinion, the Howard Government's July 12 announcement to increase woodchip exports of "sawmill residue" by a further 1 million tonnes, and the announcement that clearance of "degraded" forests for hardwood plantations will be given case-by-case approval, opens the way for increased woodchipping of forests on North's private land. Such initiatives may lift the lid on export restrictions, even before the signing of Regional Forest Agreements. This severely compromises the credibility of the whole "RFA" process. |
Mitsubishi - The Japan ConnectionNorth Ltd (and previously APPM) has supplied Mitsubishi Corporation's subsidiary Mitsubishi Paper Mills (MPM) with native forest woodchips since 1972. MPM is Japan's sixth largest pulp and paper manufacturer with a total annual production of nearly 910,000 tonnes. North is one of the company's main hardwood woodchip suppliers. Tasmania's forests provided a substantial part of MPM's 1994 A 2.4 billion dollars gross sales of pulp, paper and paperboard. 34 Other Japanese trading houses have included: Sumitomo (supplying Sanyo-Kokusaku); Mitsui (supplying Jujo, now known as New Oji)24 as well as Nippon Paper Industries.35 Australia is Japan's largest supplier of hardwood chips and pulpwood36 - the majority coming from Tasmania. North has announced a joint venture with Mitsubishi worth 40 million dollars, which will establish 1,500 hectares of plantations annually, and will lead to the loss of 27,000 hectares of native forest over the life of the project.This will be the first time that Mitsubishi will be directly involved with plantations in Tasmania.34 According to The Hobart Mercury North announced on March 29, 1996 that it would be reducing its first half of 1996 woodchip exports from North Forest Products to Japan by 367,000 tonnes, creating a predicted yearly slump from 1995 records levels of 2.17 million tonnes to 1.55 mt. The company blamed the loss on the Keating government for creating an inadequate licencing process. It is likely that some of the lost sales may involve Mitsubishi. The Howard Government's July announcement on woodchipping may increase market confidence and hence restore exports. Current global stockpiles are continuing to depress prices, however. A number of controlled entities make up North Forest Products: North Eucalypt TechnologiesSituated adjacent to North's Surrey Hills and New Hampshire estates in north west Tasmania this research facility specialises in genetic propagation and cloning of cool temperate eucalypts for use in North's plantations. It is also undertaking hybridisation experiments with Blue Gum (E. globulus) and Shining Gum (E. nitens) species. According to company literature "the best hybrids will then be cloned to produce the North 'Super-tree'".37 A new $0.5 million pulp and paper technology laboratory was established in 1995, bringing the year's research investments to $1.6 million.3 North Forests BurnieSince the construction of the New Hampshire woodchip mill, NFP maintains two woodchip stockpiles at the Burnie Number 7 wharf; one comprising myrtle (a rainforest species), the other eucalypt, sourced from the company's private land. Other companies related to this operation include Wesley Vale Engineering Pty Ltd and Sorisdale Pty Ltd. The latter manages the stockpile lease and the shiploader.38 North Forests Products HampshireThis 31 million dollar "satellite" woodchip mill is the jewel in North's private land crown. Situated adjacent to its Surrey Hills estate the mill will supposedly source 85% of its native forest and plantation woodchips from North's private land, the remaining 15% coming from the surrounding Circular Head district. With plans for processing 1.25 million tonnes of woodchips at full capacity - subject to Federal approval for the export component - the mill currently supplies 310,000 tonnes of woodchips for AMCOR's Australian Paper mill in Burnie, 70,000 tonnes for the latter's Wesley Vale mill and 17,000 tonnes for export. The mill is able to process tree lengths of up to 18 metres and log circumferences of nearly one metre - bigger logs are generally split lengthways in the forest32. Supplies to AMCOR may rise to 500,000 tonnes.33 Unconfirmed reports claim that North intends to export 200,000 tonnes of myrtle woodchips from its land, having found an overseas buyer. On the opening of the mill, eighty-four employees lost their jobs at the Burnie mill, which Hampshire operations have replaced. In all, ten people are employed at the new mill.39 These include maintenance crews and other service contractors. Only three people are required to run the mil: one control cabin operator and two crane drivers.14 Jobs lost in downstream processing at the Burnie mill - which also included a sawmill - have been replaced by logging contractors and log truck drivers. In what appears as an attempt to soften the adverse publicity generated by job losses North released plans to construct a flitch mill at Hampshire to save potential sawlogs from chipping.40 as well as the creation of a craftwood "supermarket" generated from rainforest logging.32
"Community Consultation"No Environmental Impact Assessment was produced for the Hampshire mill. The Commonwealth could have insisted on an EIS, since APPM applied to change its Export Licence conditions in relation to the transfer of 170,000 tonnes of woodchips from its Tamar mill to Burnie. However, the Federal Resources Minister, Michael Lee, decided not to use the powers available to him under the Environment Protection Act 197441. Instead, Catherine Teh, North's own "community issues adviser" undertook a process designed to create the appearance of genuine consultation. This resulted in the formulation of a Development Proposal and an Environmental Management Plan. Neither of these documents examined the wider environmental impacts of such a large proposal, but instead dealt with issues relating to the development of the mill itself. These plans were submitted to the Department of Environment and Land Management for public consideration over a thirty day period.24 The third stage of the development process opened consultation to a so-called "outer circle" of interested parties not directly affected by the proposal.43 Residents whose formal objections did not match with North's intentions did not appear to have been included in the consultation process on an ongoing basis.44Increased use of the Ridgley Road by woodchip trucks and the possibility of building a bypass were identified as issues. This led to APPM calling a "public meeting" which resulted in the formation of a lobby group, "The Ridgley to Burnie Road Action Committee", with two company members on the committee. Not surprisingly, this group advocated road improvement (not a more expensive bypass) to transport woodchips.43 The then State Transport Minister Ian Braid - well-known for his advocacy and support of the four wheel drive road carved through the Tarkine Wilderness - commissioned a study that maintained that the woodchip mill would not lead to an increase in trucking on the road 32. This seems surprising, since transport in the north west will be further facilitated by the introduction of "B" double container lorries, currently being considered by the state Department of Transport.
Aboriginal Issues 45> Aboriginal people have traditionally used the Surrey Hills area, which contains ochre and quartzite quarries.The Hampshire mill has been built on a small hill within North's estate. The hill was required for purposes relating to woodchip operations. This site was rich in Aboriginal artifacts, but all deposits unearthed during construction were taken away by La Trobe University in Victoria. La Trobe University was subjected to legal proceedings by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Land Council over the return of these and other artifacts taken by the University. The case rested on the fact that permits issued for the keeping of artifacts had expired and that the university was two years overdue in returning them. This claim was upheld by Justice Olney, who ordered the return of the artifacts. They are now being held by the statutory body responsible under European law, Parks, Wildlife and Heritage. The desire of the Aboriginal community is that this cultural heritage be returned to the true owners. This is what North has to say (Fact Sheet, Forest Planning and Management); "We have worked with the La Trobe University Department of Archaeology over the past five years to develop a better understanding of the likely sites to survey for signs of aboriginal activity. This work is helping us to gather information on how the Surrey Hills region was used prior to European settlement. Important sites have been included in our reserve system." North Forest Products TamarNFP Tamar, also known as Bell Bay or the Longreach Mill, is the largest of North's chipping operations, producing 1,050,000 tonnes of chips directly from logging operations and 150,000 tonnes of chips purchased as "sawmill waste" (as of November 1993). The mill has Federally-approved export licence of 1,065,000 tonnes and since 1972 has exported nearly 20,000,000 tonnes of woodchips, derived from native forests - a proportion of which is oldgrowth, wilderness or of high conservation value. Myrtle rainforest trees comprise 8% of logs chipped. The mill also supplies AMCOR's Australian Paper Burnie mill with "waste wood" for power.45 Rainforest LoggingThe Hampshire mill "designed primarily to utilise North's freehold wood resource", chips considerable amounts of what is euphemistically termed "logged old-growth native forest".2 Significant amounts of rainforest on the Surrey Hills property are being cleared to make way for plantations and stockpiled for export at the Burnie Wharf. This makes North Australia's major destroyer of rainforest trees. North Forest Products TriabunnaThis is North's southern Tasmanian woodchip mill, exporting the remainder of North's export woodchips (approximately 800,000 tonnes), sourced largely from the south east coast and hinterland, as well as the Southern Forests. North Pine ProductsNorth owns the Massey Greene pine woodchipping and export facility, which is managed through Sorisdale Pty Ltd20, but its long-term prospects are insecure. The pine sawmill at Massey Greene was closed in 1992, in favour of whole log exports to Korea from the Surrey Hills pine resource39. |