The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Olympic Dam expansion will be released on May 1

According to Minister Paul Holloway, this will be the largest document ever printed in this state. We've been told we will need a wheel-barrow to carry the many volumes.

The EIS will describe the largest project in South Australia's history, including a new airport, new desalination plant, new port facilities, new railways and roads, new housing suburbs, extended use of water from the Great Artesian Basin, let alone a massive increase in radioactive exports, the largest human-made hole in the world with enough over-burden to create a new mountain range, and a project that will end up using almost half the state’s electricity. The scale is breath-taking with enormous impact on our State and beyond.

Only 8 weeks to responde to EIS

For three years now, whenever we've asked about this project, we've been told: "wait for the EIS". Now we discover that the SA community will be given only 8 weeks to read and respond to the Environmental Impact Statement - the only time the SA public will be able to formally have their say on this massive project.

To put that into perspective, here are some other public consultation periods recently offered by the State Government:

the Encounter Bay Shopping Centre (nine weeks);

Caravan Park Zoning (ten weeks);

Victoria Park Grandstand (three months)

Port Augusta Draft Structure Plan (three months).

The Rann Government is offering less public consultation time on the entire Roxby expansion project than for a new shopping centre in Victor Harbor!

And this for a project that industry analysts say will not start for at least 2 years or more.

Write to Minister for Mineral Resources Development Paul Holloway and the Shadow Minister David Ridgway and tell them 8 weeks is not enough to comment on this document.

Lights back on

The Whyalla Council has turn the Point Lowly Lighthouse light back on with a dimmer yellow light