AREEA has publicly joined calls by Northern Tasmanian local community members, employers and the Australian Workers Union (AWU) to allow sensible mining development in Tasmania’s Tarkine region.

Chief executive Steve Knott featured on ABC Radio Hobart’s morning talkback program last week to argue the economic and employment benefits that would be provided to Tasmania if proposals for additional resource exploration and projects in the Tarkine region went ahead.

Mr Knott said the 3000 people drawn to a pro-industry rally in Burnie on November 17 demonstrated the joint support from employers, the community and trade unions for new economically and environmentally responsible projects in Tasmania’s North West.

“Economically Tasmania needs to stand on its own two feet and address the appalling unemployment and attendant social implications of a state fast being tagged as a ‘welfare state’,” Mr Knott said.

“Tasmania is relatively underexplored from a mineral perspective; notwithstanding this the state had enormous economic development upside from mining for more than one hundred years.

“The area sought for mining development represents 1% of the Tarkine region and unless Tasmania pushes back against the extreme green agendas, the economic prospects for the state are frightening.

“The community, local employers and trade unions have together demonstrated clear support for environmentally and economically responsible resources activity such as the Venture Minerals project.

“Hopefully the AWU’s rally in Burnie on Saturday has assisted in the consideration of sensible economic development opportunities for today’s generation and generations of Tasmanians in the future.”

The audio of the interview can be accessed here.

For more information on AREEA’s involvement in the public debate, contact AREEA media and government relations adviser Tom Reid via [email protected].