The Avon Valley National Park
- Details
- Published: Friday, 12 August 2016 16:31
To kick-start 2016, on New Year’s day members of the Avon and Hills Mining Awareness Group Inc (AHMAG) drove along Morangup Rd, through the Morangup timber reserve on their way to Bald Hill in the Avon Valley National Park (AVNP), where they were once again treated to the sheer beauty of one of WA’s best kept secrets.
Have you ever visited the Avon Valley National Park?
The AVNP is another one of those wonders that very few people actually realize is on the door step of the metro area right here in the Perth Hills.
The community of Morangup know exactly where it is, as it is literally on the doorstep of their own community adjoining the Morangup Timber Reserve.
The Avon River, which is named Golguler by the Darling Range Nyoongar people, runs through the center of the Avon Valley National Park where it rushes downstream in the winter months through the high rocky hills and outcrops to join the Swan River in the Walyunga National Park near Bells rapids and Brigadoon.
The Avon Valley National Park, the Timber and Nature Reserves are all cherished neighbours of the close knit community of Morangup and these Parks and reserves are home to many different species of Flora and Fauna.
To the horror of most locals there is a new neighbour wanting to move in next door “BAJV / BRL and Mining” which is soon to be 100% owned by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Many believe these companies and mining will be the neighbours from Hell and will bring with them all of the negative effects that full blown open cut bauxite mining has on local communities and the environment.
Did you know that under the mining Act, Timber and Nature reserves have no real protection from mining and even National Parks can be mined, it just takes longer to get approvals?
Imagine if the Felicitas and the Fortuna mines obtain approvals to operate and in 10 or 15 years or maybe even less, the PROC move the operations into the Morangup Timber Reserve. The Morangup community would have mining on 3 sides, being the West, North and already proposed Eastern side of the community. (See map below)
What will be next? The Moondyne nature reserve, the Morangup nature reserve or even the Avon Valley National Park itself!
Did you know that there are pending tenements over the Morangup timber reserve, the Moodyne nature reserve and parts of the Avon valley national park!!!
Some believe that open cut bauxite mining is nothing more than a big gravel pit and that the effects will be minimal, but most understand that mining here is a massive threat not only to our community of Morangup, but to Toodyay, Wundowie, Wooroloo and the environment itself.
Any approvals to mine alongside these reserves and the local communities will only see:
- 24/7 noise from Heavy machinery including surface miners, dump trucks, dozers, excavators etc.
- 24/7 noise from reverse beepers.
- 24/7 noise from crushing plants.
- 24/7 noise from a 20 km conveyor feeding the crushing plant.
- Blasting.
- Dust clouds from the mining operation.
- Contaminated rain water from dust containing Silica and other harmful substances (Reticulated scheme water is not available in Morangup)
- Losses to ground water which will be used for dust suppression.
- Destruction of native vegetation and bush land.
- Over time trees near mine pits will die from the lack of ground water and moisture.
- There will be Changes to the way in which water flows into creeks, rivers and ground water recharges.
- Destruction of farmland when top soil is removed and the bauxite ripped out all the way down to the clay bed.
- Losses to tourism along the tourist route.
- Losses of jobs in tourism and other sectors.
- Losses of jobs in organic farms due to crop contamination from dust etc.
- Light pollution, which will destroy our beautiful dark night skies.
- Desolation of plant and animal species.
- Losses to property values.
The constant threat of mining in the Nature reserves and the Avon valley national park will continue while tenements are granted for exploration, not only for bauxite, but Gold, Iron and any other mineral that could be mined if exploration discovers economic quantities of any ore that could be potentially mined for profit.
How exactly does mining fit in to this location, or into the lifestyles of the Communities of Morangup, Toodyay, Wundowie or Wooroloo who all call this beautiful area home?
We must protect these areas before they are destroyed forever and with your help we can!
Please share this post, like us on Facebook and ask your family and friends to do the same, because “Together We Will Be Heard” and this year we intend to make more noise than in 2015.
If you only visit one place in WA this year, please consider treating yourself to the wonders of the Avon Valley National Park and Bald Hill, where you will be in awe!
AHMAG
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