Right now, two of the Territory’s most precious places - the Roper River and Limmen Bight Marine Park - are at risk from the destructive impacts of this big mining.
100 tonne road trains, 8000 tonne barges, industrial ship loading facilities and 2 billion litre water extraction plans are all coming to the Roper River and Maria Island soon.
We’ve seen it before – overseas companies planning to exploit the Territory for a quick profit. Local communities are concerned the 100% overseas owned company proposed for the Roper, which has no connection to the Top End, will disappear as fast as they appeared, leaving behind the mess.
Tonnes and tonnes of iron ore on massive trucks, barges and ships will soon be on the move through these well-loved places. This threatens to destroy water quality, poses oil spill and pollution risk, and adds industrial pressures to these precious places. Two billion litres of water will be taken from the Roper River every year AND a 400m long dam will be built on the Hodgson River catchment, which also flows into the Roper.
With a proposal like this hanging over communities and their environments right now, it’s time for the Northern Territory Government to come clean on how it will deliver a plan that safeguards the health of our coasts, as promised at the last election.
It’s time for the Government to act - to protect our rivers and coasts, and our way of life.
Our Top End coasts and fishing lifestyle is under increasing pressure. Impacts from big mining, pollution, mangrove destruction, climate change, amongst others, are on the rise. It is critical that the Gunner Government’s promised Plan to safeguard the health of our coasts, due at the year’s end, delivers what the Territory needs - a Plan that takes action without further delay to secure the unique cultural, conservation and fishing values of the Top End’s coasts.
We need a Plan that will properly protect our coasts into the future.