Mining digs up royalties record

TASMANIA’S mining sector has pumped more than $60m into the state’s coffers during the past 12 months and the industry says its time environmental protest campaigns came to an end.

During the past 12 months, Tasmania’s mineral producers have delivered a mineral royalties record – almost double the $31.6m received in 2019-2020.

The biggest contributors were Grange Resources which mines iron ore at Savage River, MMG which has a lead, zinc, copper, gold and silver mine at Rosebery, Bluestone Mines Tasmania Joint Venture which produces tin concentrate near Zeehan, Cornwall Coal which mines coal used by Cement Australia in their Railton plant and Henty which mines gold and silver near Queenstown.

The record input from mining companies comes as the Bob Brown Foundation continues its campaign against new mines and the clearing of forest for infrastructure in the Tarkine. These campaigns have focused on MMG’s plans to build a new tailings waste facility near its Rosebery mine and Venture Minerals’ progressing its Riley iron ore mine as it waits to start work on a bigger project at Mt Lindsay.

Tasmanian Minerals, Manufacturing and Energy Council CEO Ray Mostogl said the record royalties payment had been driven by the volume of minerals and record prices.

“The $60m plus paid means $1m a week can be used to provide services and infrastructure to everybody else in Tasmania,” Mr Mostogl said, adding there would be a reduction in services if royalties dried up.

BBF campaign manager Jenny Weber said mining was historically put first at the expense of the environment.

“Tasmania should not be held to ransom by mining royalties when it means increased greenhouse gas emissions, wildlife habitat destruction and loss of world heritage values,” she said.