Dear Minister Swinbourn,
Protect the Dunham River from the Speewah Fluorite Mine
The proposed Speewah Fluorite Mine in the East Kimberley poses an unacceptable risk to one of the Kimberley’s most pristine river systems.
Tivan Ltd’s proposed open-cut mine in the Speewah Valley is located approximately 1-1.5km from the Dunham River, a free-flowing waterway and vital tributary of the celebrated Ord River. The proposed development is enormous, with mine pits approximately 2km long, 180m wide and 105m deep, within a development footprint of 9,307 hectares.
A major contamination risk
The proposed mine plan includes a tailings dam for 6.74 million tonnes of contaminated mine waste from the mine’s processing plant. In the event of an extreme flood the dam’s spillway could overflow into the Dunham River. In a region with monsoonal rainfall and major flood events, a tailings dam failure or overflow would be catastrophic.
If contaminated tailings and polluted water get into the Dunham River and downstream waterways, toxic chemicals and heavy metals could impact the health of groundwater and surface water and could last in sediments for decades. Once contamination enters a river system, it cannot simply be cleaned up.
The mining could:
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Pump contaminated pit water into the landscape: Tivan has proposed to inject contaminated water from the mining pit into the groundwater and/or directly into the Dunham River. Water in the mining pit is likely to contain high levels of fluoride, copper and other heavy metals which can harm animals in the river, human health and downstream mangrove forests.
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Store toxic waste at the headwaters of the Dunham River: Thousands of tonnes of chemicals used in the processing plant will be transported into the East Kimberley for use on site, and 6.74 million tonnes of waste chemicals would be stored in a dam at the headwaters of the Dunham River. This has potential to release contaminated water in the event of extreme flooding.
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Deplete groundwater and change the Dunham’s natural flow: Even when there is no rain the Dunham River rarely stops flowing because it is fed by groundwater in the dry season. Tivan wants to extract 4.5 billion litres of groundwater per year. Extracting groundwater would disturb the flow regime of the river and potentially be harmful to animals that depend on a clean, healthy and flowing Dunham River.
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Create long-term pollution: The plan is to mine for 10 years, but contaminated mine waste and the consequences of pollution could remain for generations. Clean, healthy and free-flowing rivers are vital to the future of the Kimberley, and its rivers should be protected.
Image: Letterbox Gorge, East Kimberley.
The Dunham River is a vital wildlife corridor supporting animals including the Gouldian Finch and Mertens’ Water Monitor, and important fish populations such as Barramundi and Black Bream. Its catchment also supports pastoral activities and provides important wet-season flows to the Ord River and the Ramsar-listed wetlands of Parry’s Lagoon.
Any contamination of the Dunham could have negative impacts far beyond the mine site, affecting an interconnected river system and the communities and ecosystems that depend upon it. Damage to Country is inseparable from the wellbeing, culture and identity of its people.
The potential for a catastrophe is too high.
I urge Minister Swinbourne to reject environmental approval for the Speewah Fluorite Mine through the Environment Protection Act, Minister Pastorelli to reject Tivan’s application for a water licence and reject any applications for any mining lease in the Dunham catchment. I call on Minister Pastorelli to use his powers under the Mining Act to remove the current leases and prohibit mining in the Dunham River catchment in perpetuity.
I call on the WA Government to protect the Dunham River from unacceptable contamination and water risks.
Yours Sincerely,
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