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Wiradjuri Elder exposes Barrick Gold's mine pit collapse at Lake Cowal
Neville 'Chappy' Williams, Wiradjuri Traditional Owner of the Lake Cowal area, recently took an aerial flight over Barrick's gold mine in Lake Cowal. He describes his feelings as he witnesses the destruction and desecration of his Peoples sacred sites by the world's largest gold mining company.
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| Video information | |
|---|---|
| Contact | write the producer |
| Home page | more info |
| Produced | 2008/03/20 |
| Duration | 6 minutes 1 second |
Full description
The Save Lake Cowal is a community campaign driven by local Wiradjuri Elders. For over eight years the campaign has created public awareness around the cultural and ecological significance of Lake Cowal and opposed the mine on the edge of the lake which is owned and operated by mining giant Barrick Gold. Recently Barrick proposed that the 13 year lifetime of the mine will be expanded to 20 years.
Wiradjuri traditional lands cover a third of the NSW land mass. Traditional Owners oppose the mine and charge that Barrick and its predecessors ignored demands to protect cultural objects.
Lake Cowal is an ephemeral lake with a 20 year wet/dry cycle. Situated in central western New South Wales, Lake Cowal and the surrounding area is currently facing one of its worst droughts in recorded history. Despite this the mine uses up to 17 million litres of water per day and up to 3650 million litres a year.
Barrick processes very low-grade ore with minimal residues of gold. Leaching gold from the ore requires over 6,000 tonnes per year of cyanide and other hazardous chemicals. The copious waste from this process flows into open pits separated from the lake by a earthen wall or 'bund'. The mine tailings are stored within the floodplain in unlined dams 3.5 kilometres from the lake. The two tailings ponds are 1km square containing highly toxic chemicals. They are a tempting habitat for migratory birds.
In 2007, Neville 'Chappy' Williams joined Western Shoshone at Barrick's AGM to voice their concerns about the lack of informed and prior consent and the desecration of their sacred sites by Barrick's mines. Supported by ProtestBarrick.net and Friends of the Earth Australia
To support the tour please donate here
For more info contact:
Natalie Lowrey
0421 226 200
natalie.lowrey@foe.org.au
www.savelakecowal.org
www.protestbarrick.net
