Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek accused of ‘rewriting history’ over McPhillamys gold mine decision at Blayney in NSW after she was slammed for taking advice from Indigenous Elder

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has been accused of “rewriting history” after denying she had permanently shut down a gold mine by making a controversial statement about indigenous heritage.

Earlier this month, Ms Plibersek decided to protect land with significant Aboriginal heritage value from excavation for a wastewater dam needed for the proposed McPhillamys gold mine near Blayney in central-western New South Wales.

Mining developer Regis Resources said the cancellation of plans for a tailings dam at the headwaters of the nearby Belubula River made the entire project financially unviable, as it would have been delayed by five to 10 years.

However, Ms Plibersek called claims that she had closed the mine “misinformation”.

“Let’s be very clear about this: I have said the gold mine can go ahead but the company must find a new location for the tailings dam,” Ms Plibersek told the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday.

Her argument failed to impress Ben Fordham, presenter of Sydney radio station 2GB’s morning show.

“For almost two weeks now, there have been reports around the country that Tanya Plibersek has blocked the gold mine,” Fordham said.

‘She didn’t correct it. She seemed proud of it.

‘She even boasted on social media that she was using her powers as Environment Minister to protect an Aboriginal heritage area.’

Last weekend, Ms Plibersek gave an interview to the left-wing Saturday Paper about her decision. The interview was headlined ‘Tanya Plibersek stops gold mining on indigenous heritage lands’.

In that interview, she again said that Regis only needed to find another nearby dam site to continue the project.

“There is really nothing that stands in the way of building the mine,” she said.

‘They just need to find a new location for the landfill, which is not in a culturally significant place for the Wiradjuri people.

“They have 2,500 hectares of land that they already own. I have issued a declaration for 400 hectares of that. They are free to use the remaining 2,100 hectares.”

Fordham laughed at this attempt to portray the dam decision as a minor setback for the project.

“This is a ridiculous argument,” Fordham said.

“The gold mine cannot start until the location of the tailings dam is secured and approved by bureaucrats, and that takes years.”

Fordham questioned why Ms Plibersek had declared the area of ​​cultural significance when the New South Wales government thought otherwise.

“The New South Wales Department of Planning has given extensive consideration to the Aboriginal heritage at this site and after three years of consideration, the Independent Planning Commission has concluded that ‘the Department is satisfied that the impact of the project on Aboriginal cultural heritage is acceptable in accordance with the policy of the New South Wales Government’,” Fordham said.

The proposed site just outside Orange, NSW, would feature an open pit mine, processing plant and tailings dam (pictured)

‘So Tanya Plibersek is saying she doesn’t trust the New South Wales government?’

There is division among the local indigenous population over the gold mine.

The Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council, the statutory Indigenous body that governs the area, supports the mine and all associated operations.

However, the application to retain the site came from the Wiradyuri Traditional Owners Central West Aboriginal Corporation, which Ms Plibersek partially accepted.

Last week, Roy Ah-See, a descendant of the Wiradjuri nation and former chair of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council, raised questions about the credentials of Wollongong-born artist Nyree Reynolds, who filed a document calling on Ms Plibersek to block the proposed dam on the Belubula River.

NSW Labor Premier NSW Premier Chris Minns said on Monday he was “disappointed” by Plibersek’s decision regarding the mine that will be established 200 jobs and a contribution of approximately $200 million in royalties to NSW.

The state’s Natural Resources Minister Courtney Houssos continues to work with Regis Resources to find an alternative location for the tailings dam.

Fordham accused Ms Plibersek of “confusing herself with all these distortions” and of denying that she had blocked the dam entirely.

“Chris Minns doesn’t care, Anthony Albanese runs miles away from it,” Fordham said of her claims.

‘Tanya Plibersek is alone.’