Well, in the grand tradition of putting the cart before the horse—and then wondering why the cart's on fire—we present to you: the DL130 Bauxite Project’s Dust Management Plan. Or rather, the idea of a strategy. A shimmering mirage of a plan that might exist... someday... maybe after the dust has already settled (on your roof, in your rainwater tank, and quite possibly in your lungs).
Let’s break it down, shall we?
🚜 “Trust Us, We’ll Sort It Out Later”
The EPA has conditionally approved the DL130 project, but with a teeny, tiny catch: the actual Dust Management Plan isn’t finished yet.
That’s right. No final plan. No full report. No real-time monitoring system.
Instead, the EPA has generously given ABx 30 days after approval to whip one up. That’s like approving a restaurant before it’s passed a food safety inspection, because the chef pinky-promised to clean the kitchen eventually.
⏳ Background Monitoring... But Make It Fashionably Late
Condition A6 kindly requires dust monitoring to start before operations begin—but again, only after the project is approved. No need to worry about all that evidence-based planning nonsense when you can just approve first and measure later!
And as for those nearest sensitive receptors—like residents, farms, and livestock—don’t worry, they’ll be totally fine breathing in whatever rolls out in the meantime. Maybe. Hopefully.
(Unless it’s summer, when dry conditions and wind are at their worst—but who plans around seasonal realities anyway?)
🌬️ Real-Time Monitoring? Ha! What’s That?
While industries around the world are adopting real-time air quality monitoring, DL130 seems to be taking a more... vintage approach. Think of it like a “heritage method”: no live data, no alerts—just a charming reliance on visible dust clouds and someone’s gut instinct that maybe, just maybe, it’s time to turn on the water cart.
It’s bold. It’s breezy. It’s a strategy only a mining executive—or someone who doesn’t live within 10 kilometres—could love.
📜 Legally Speaking... Council, You Might Want to Sit Down
Under the Local Government Act 1993, Council is supposed to promote community health, safety, and wellbeing. They’re also expected to act with transparency and make evidence-based planning decisions, per the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993.
But here’s the rub: approving a project before the Dust Management Plan is finalised? That’s about as transparent as mud during a stormwater overflow.
We’re now asking Council to petition for a Public Health Risk Assessment under the Public Health Act 1997. You know, just to check whether that bauxite dust is a mild inconvenience or a long-term respiratory nightmare. Crazy, right?
In Summary: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
- No final Dust Management Plan
- No baseline dust data
- No real-time monitoring
- Potential health risks acknowledged by Public Health Services
- Sensitive areas potentially exposed before protections are in place
- Community concerns politely ignored until complaints roll in.
💬 Final Thoughts
If this is what “world’s best practice” looks like, maybe it’s time to lower the flag and start taking applications for Common Sense Australia™.
Until then, we’ll be keeping our rainwater tanks sealed, our windows closed, and our fingers crossed that someone in Council realises that “We’ll deal with it later” is not a health policy.
Cheers to accountability, whenever it decides to show up.
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