Coastal Mineral Sandmining and Sand Extraction Policy

Principles

1. Sandmining should not adversely affect significant scientific, cultural or environmental aspects of coastal, riparian, forested and other regions.

2. Policy decisions must be consistent with the principles of biodiversity, total catchment management, landscape values and ecological sustainability and should consider social and economic factors.

3. All humans need places for recreation and our coastal, river and forest areas are amongst the most popular.

4. The coastal region and other environmentally sensitive areas provide opportunities for the development of environmentally-friendly local industries rather than domination by mining companies.

5. In the development of industries such as sensitive eco-tourism and those based on the re-use and recycling of building materials and the re-use of glass products.

6. In the search for alternatives to primary extracted sand in building and other products, and to distinguish between necessary and unnecessary products.

7. The community must be involved in decision making related to mineral sand mining and sand extraction in their area.

8. Affected communities should be offered compensation for the disruption imposed by mining industries supplying sand to the wider community.

Goals

The Greens NSW will work towards:

9. No new coastal mineral sandmining developments being allowed; and

10. Communities affected by sandmining being both adequately consulted about developments in their area, and compensated for the impacts on their amenity.

Detail

The Greens NSW will:

11. Support the cancellation of all existing mining and exploration leases in and adjacent to all national parks and nature reserves and other conservation areas;

12. Initiate the creation of a register of radioactive tailings sites;

13. Advocate that existing sandmining operations in all environmentally sensitive locations should not be expanded, and when extraction is complete, the area should be regenerated to its maximum potential;

14. Support certain sensitive areas being reserved as no-take zones in marine parks and national parks;

15. Advocate that any exploration and /or mining of the off-shore areas of NSW not be approved unless there has been rigorous scientific assessment and comprehensive public debate;

16. Require that any area that has been mined have its biodiversity returned to as close to a pre-mined condition as possible, as verified by a qualified, independent assessor; and

17. Ensure environmental legal aid is made available so that legal action in the public interest can be taken by members of the community to ensure that environmental laws are implemented or complied with.