EDITORIAL: Plibersek’s gold mining project decision is a pointer to the folly of Nature Positive

The very real danger to jobs and our national prosperity from Federal Labor’s ill-considered Nature Positive plan has been widely canvassed.

It is quite clear that the deeply flawed plan would tie up industry in red tape, rip billions out of the economy and put tens of thousands of Australians out of work and into the dole queue.

And if ever there was a red flag about what could befall our resources sector, in particular, should the plan be pursued into legislation, it was waved last week when Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek knocked back a $1b NSW gold mining project over contested Indigenous heritage claims.

Ms Plibersek on Friday brought an end to a four-year saga when she opted to override her department and NSW planning approval for the Regis McPhillamy’s gold mine in the State’s central west, claiming the decision was about protecting “a significant Aboriginal site” from being “destroyed” to build the tailings dam — despite the local land council not raising any concerns.

She said her decision, made under section 10s of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protection Act, was not to “stop the mine”, and that the company could find an alternative location for the tailings dam before going through the process again.

But Regis said the decision meant the entire project was “not viable”.

The mining industry claims the Act has been weaponised by green activists to block projects that have otherwise met all required State and Federal development approvals because the Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council have questioned the authenticity of those opposing the site on Indigenous heritage grounds.

“We question the motives of people and organisations who participate in pro­moting unsubstantiated claims and seek to hijack Aboriginal ­Cultural Heritage in order to push other agendas,” the land council’s submission stated.

Association of Mining and Exploration Companies chief executive Warren Pearce said the decision meant 580 construction jobs and $200 million worth of royalties to the State had been lost.

“This is an incredibly disappointing decision that lacks reason and common sense, and sets a truly terrible precedent for investment risk in Australia,” he said. “If any project, no matter how thoroughly consulted, negotiated, supported and assessed, can be knocked over by the objections of only a few people at the end of the process, then how can any company or investor have the confidence to invest in Australia.”

The sorry saga is but further evidence that the Nature Positive plan is anything but positive, particularly as we head towards what looms as a potential Labor/Greens/teals minority government and all the political horse-trading that will entail.

There was however one welcome development on Monday when the Australian Conservation Foundation scrapped a Federal Court challenge to Woodside Energy’s $16 billion Scarborough gas project off WA’s north-west.

Now that was a positive sign.