A local group is appealing Ballarat Council’s decision to green light a new tailings dam at the Mount Clear gold mine.
At the June council meeting, Ballarat councillors vote in favour of the dam, six votes to three, under conditions the mine prepares a dust management plan and an amended human health risk assessment prior to building works beginning.
The Tailings Dam Community Safety Action Group have submitted their appeal to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, citing a failure by council to refer the proposal for an environmental effects statement.
“Ballarat City has just won a tourism award, and yet our city council has approved the construction of a tailings dam, which stores mining waste containing arsenic and heavy metals, across the road from housing, a primary school and an aged care facility,” said secretary of the group, Dr. Dora Pearce.
In a statement, the City of Ballarat’s Director of Growth and Development, Natalie Robertson, said the council resolved to issue a notice of decision to grant a planning permit for a tailings dam at the Ballarat Gold Mine at the ordinary June meeting.
She said as the matter is now before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, it would be inappropriate to comment further.
