It was in response to community concerns about the risks of spillages from the Dargues Creek Mine site if permission is given for on-site processing using cyanide.

Comparing the risks of getting out of bed and the scientifically proven effects of even tiny amounts of cyanide /toxic heavy metals escaping from the site into the local environment reveals Unity’s attitude to community concerns.

It suggests that getting out of bed has the same degree of risk as spillages from the mine site. We know that has already happened on several occasions and Unity has been found guilty and fined.

Even with a bigger holding area for the cyanide residue, Unity cannot give 100% guarantee that spillages will NEVER occur.

Getting out of bed is a decision we (mostly) take of our own free will. It is an individual decision which affects only ourselves.

By contrast, the spillage of highly toxic chemical residues will affect many, many humans and the ecosystem in the affected area.

The decision to grant permission for Unity to use cyanide for on-site processing, with the proven risks this entails, will be taken by the NSW Dept of Planning.

Those who realise that Unity cannot guarantee there will be zero risk of spillages, have the opportunity to make their views known to the Dept of Planning (GPO Box 39, Sydney NSW 2001) before 26 August.

It is disappointing that Unity continues to reduce the complexities of the risks to simplistic statements. 

Virginia Hooker

Durran Durra, Braidwood