“The claim by the Australian Workers Union’s Robert Flanagan that killing a rainforest with a mine waste tailings dam is good for the environment underscores how captured by the corporation this fellow is,” Bob Brown said today.

“The workers’ win-win outcome will be for MMG to treat its waste outside takayna / Tarkine and for the rainforest and its wildlife to survive into the much more barren world the next generation are going to inherit from us. It is a pity this individual is relegating that generation’s interests behind those of this mega-corporation.”

“And today’s claims by the Mining Industry Council that saving the Tarkine’s rare Masked Owls will stop the electric car industry are uninformed piffle. Our foundation has always maintained that the Rosebery mine should keep going but by taking up waste disposal outside the Tarkine.”

“MMG has known about the need for a new tailings disposal option for more than a decade. It has painted itself into a corner by saying it cannot put its tailings back underground. It has also touted other dam options for its wastes outside the Tarkine. This is a bullying company which is unreasonably demanding it get its own way regardless of the public and environmental costs. Minister Plibersek is not responding to approaches from environmentalists, but she should, and must, seriously weigh up the evidence for MMG’s good options outside the Tarkine. Otherwise, she will have the wool pulled over her eyes by this giant bullying corporation,” Bob Brown said.