Environmental concerns over seabed mining have risen again, this time at the seabed exploration of Groote Eylandt by the mining firm Groote Resources. The mining company has received an exploration licence to look for manganese in the area between the island and the mainland in the Gulf of Carpentaria in northeastern Australia.
However traditional owners are not keen on this exploration and want to protect the seabed. Their efforts have received an impetus by the call of Indigenous Health Minster Warren Snowdown to think twice about the project.
Mr Snowdown said that he had known the Warnindilyakwa community for over two decades. He has been to Groote and had a briefing from the land council. He said that he could not recall a time when they had been more vehemently opposed to a particular proposal.
They were voicing their concerns and Mr Snowdown said that he shared those concerns. Particularly about the undersea impact of potentially open-cut mining on that pristine environment. They were worried about the effect of the mining activity on their community and culture as well besides the environment.
The Warnindilyakwa, the indigenous people of Groote Eylandt, in the Gulf of Carpentaria were also upset that executives of Groote Resources failed to show up at a meeting to discuss the plans about the island with them last month.