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Derwent Valley farmers want more transparency over leases for bauxite exploration

Updated August 03, 2015 15:18:45

A farmer at Ouse in Tasmania's Derwent Valley has called for improvements to the system of farmers being notified about mining exploration on their land.

The call comes as two mining companies are expected to be granted licences to explore a big area of farmland near Ouse and Hamilton.

Jenny Nye runs a cattle and sheep property, Ousedale, in the area and says she and another farmer found out about the applications by accident.

"I guess the area would cover about ten to twelve farms and it wouldn't take that much for each farm to be contacted to know that this was potentially in front of us," Mrs Nye said.

The licence applications were advertised in the public notices column of the Saturday Mercury and details of the plans are on the Mineral Resources Tasmania website.

"I don't know whether people are trying to hide stuff, but if it's a good thing for Tasmania why don't they approach us early in the piece to explain what we may be looking at," Mrs Nye said.

"There may be only a slim chance of mining, but most farms around here aren't that big so every part of your land is vital to you."

Bernard Brain farms across the other side of the Ouse river at Rotherwood and is a past winner of the Diversification Farmer of the Year awar , co-sponsored by the ABC.

"We know there are bauxite deposits in the area that were looked at in the 1940s, but to my knowledge no significant deposits were found on our land," Mr Brain said.

"A big part of our farm is the vineyard, which we are in the process of expanding and it's an area that will become the most significant part of the farm.

"If you are earning substantial returns, in the case of vineyards tens of thousands of dollars per annum, you wouldn't want to jeopardise that for a short term return."

Tasmanian company Kingfisher Exploration wants to explore a 248-square-kilometre section of the Ouse valley for bauxite, while a Northern Territory company wants a lease to the north-west of Ouse.

Both applications are before Mineral Resources Tasmania, which has indicated it will approve both licences to explore the area.

Bauxite mining has commenced on farmland in the north of Tasmania near Campbell Town and the first shipment of the aluminium ore is ready to be transported to China.

Farmers in the Ouse and Hamilton areas affected by the applications can submit their thoughts to Mineral Resources Tasmania and more information is available at www.mrt.tas.gov.au/portal/home

Topics: mining-rural, rural, agribusiness, bauxite, beef-cattle, sheep-production, ouse-7140

First posted August 03, 2015 15:11:37

Original author: Tony Briscoe

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