Public & regulator comments: General LAKE DISAPPOINTMENT POTASH PROJECT RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS Reward Minerals Ltd July 2019 1 Public & regulator comments: General The Proposal – General Comments No. Submitter Submission and/or issue Response to comment Group submission 2: The Its status as a Ramsar site would require referral to the Commonwealth for Lake Disappointment is not a Ramsar wetland. substantive content of these assessment under the EPBC Act. 12 submissions was Reward referred the Lake Disappointment potash project to the Commonwealth Department of the Environment and substantively the same, so the The presence of threatened species and the Aboriginal significance of the site is Energy for assessment on 21 June 2016 (DotEE reference number 2016/7727), as explained in Section 1.5.2 of the ERD. comments received have too great to allow this to proceed. been answered collectively. Please refer to Reward’s responses to specific comments made in relation to fauna and Aboriginal cultural values, Where individual submitters below. made points not raised by others in the group, those responses were answered individually. People included in Group 2 were: 1 Karl Bossard (17) Claire (30) Amanda Evans (46) Amy Flatt (51) Cathy Gilmore (55) Teagan McKillop (88) Katherine McMahon (89) Alyssa Over (102) Karl Seddon (115) Ian Stych (120 Estella Vijgenboom (130) Confidential submitter2 (32) Please be advised that the proposal to mine Lake Disappointment would Lake Disappointment is not a Ramsar wetland. contravene international conventions on such environmentally sensitive wetlands. Mining would never take place on the Ramsar protected wetlands of 2 Midge Avery Vasse Estuary further south in Western Australia. Because of its isolated environment, Lake Disappointment contains numerous species of flora, fauna and microorganisms in a more pristine habitat than in developed areas. It is vitally important this habitat remains in its current natural state. The Lake Disappointment Potash Project will also have unknown effects on the The submitter’s assertion is pure speculation and is inconsistent with the findings of baseline studies and modelling 3 ATD Bennett (2) broad ecology of this nationally important wetland appended to the Lake Disappointment ERD. The proposal at hand will drastically and permanently modify Lake This assertion is not supported by any of the technical studies conducted for the Lake Disappointment project. 4 Reece Pedler (5) Disappointment. Lake Disappointment is a valuable environment for animals and needs to The proponent has always acknowledged that Lake Disappointment is a valuable environment and sought to ensure, remain in its natural state. via its extensive baseline (and ongoing monitoring) studies, that the impact of brine abstraction, evaporation and 5 Mel Betts (14) crystalliser ponds and halite stacks (which cover a minor percentage of the playa’s surface area) can be well managed and mitigated. As is clear from the ERD and Reward development methodologies these can be achieved. Reward Minerals Ltd Lake Disappointment Potash Project 1 Public & regulator comments: General No. Submitter Submission and/or issue Response to comment Why do we, those who care about the environment, constanty [sic] have to Western Australia’s environmental assessment and regulation processes are amongst the most stringent and highly battle to stop things such as this? The EPA should grow back some balls and regarded systems in the mining industry, which is why the State continues to rank highly in global mining investment 6 Simon Blears (15) recommend against this project., purely on a common sense approach. indices and attracts ongoing global investment. This investment ensures that all of Western Australia’s people (and frankly Australia at large) benefit from the State’s natural resources. This is an outrageous proposal that will permanently damage a unique 1. RWD’s shares your passion for sustainable agriculture and is a proud member of the International Fertiliser ecological site just for a short term profit. Time to think sustainably, and not Association that promotes that vision. However, no closed production system exists in which potash is not approve mining in such areas. Time for agriculture to be sustainable, so it's a required, which is why companies across the globe produce in excess of 70 million tonnes of potash annually. closed system and potash is not required. So many animals inhabit the site, Reward’s SOP will be recovered from surface brines by solar evaporation and a water leaching process. they have every right to exist, they are not there at the whim of humans who think themselves superior. If this mine goes ahead, it will be obvious to all Potassium is essential for plant health and there must be an adequate supply in the soil to maintain good growth. citizens that governments are corrupt and just in the pockets of mining When supply is limited, plants have reduced yields, poor quality, utilise water less efficiently, and are more companies... for a few measly bucks. Ecologies are worth far more money susceptible to pest and disease damage. We see evidence in many parts of the world of potash depletion in intact, learn the science. Do not approve this mining activity! agricultural soils. Historically, some soils were high in potassium at first but after many years of intensive cropping and repeated nutrient removal during harvesting, most fields now require regular inputs of potash to maintain agricultural productivity. 2. To assert that this Project would proceed as a result of corruption is at best ill-informed and at worst libellous. The very fact that it is being assessed through a transparent and stringent environmental assessment at a State and Federal level should easily assuage such an idea. 7 Kirstina Bray (18) 3. As demonstrated in information published during the debate over the ill-conceived, so-called ‘Mining Super Profits Tax’, all Australians benefit from the country’s mineral wealth and the mining industry’s ability to safely and sustainably extract those minerals. For example, according to the Minerals Council of Australia, the mining industry paid an estimated $12 billion in company tax in 2016-17, which is more than the Federal Government spends on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. In addition, ATO data show that the industry paid almost 9 per cent of all company tax in 2015-16, despite comprising less than 1 per cent of all companies in Australia. It is also worth noting that mining paid $81 billion to state governments in royalties in the decade to 2016-17 and over $9 billion in state payroll taxes. Those contributions pay for teachers, roads, nurses, police and other essential services upon which all Australians depend. Finally, whilst economic returns are important, the inescapable fact is that mining provides the minerals upon which our agricultural (i.e. feeding the world’s population) and technological (e.g. the hardware, software, computer, tablet or smartphone by which your submission was made or the next generation of renewables) civilisation has been built and increasingly relies upon. Why do you plan to pillage and destroy it only in the name of greed and profit? The overwhelming majority of Australians are proud of this country’s mining heritage and its exciting future because it It is so very shameful and it makes me feel ashamed to be an Australian. These is widely understood that the industry is held to account to the highest order in regard to its approach to community, negative actions towards our environment and wildlife is tearing at my heart health, safety and environmental assessment and performance. 8 Sherrin Caird (21) and my depression and the feeling of helplessness grows every day seeing all The minerals produced by the industry provide all the elements society relies on and requires today and for the the destruction as it is, and here we are being threatened with more foreseeable future. destruction. I can only imagine how much worse our youth feel. This is Reward Minerals Ltd Lake Disappointment Potash Project 2 Public & regulator comments: General No. Submitter Submission and/or issue Response to comment becoming far worse than being bombed in terms of damages being done to Universally, the most developed countries have the highest living standards and are generally the most equitable our environment. Please I beg you to prevent this and begin working on societies, whilst less fortunate, undeveloped nations have the largest gaps between, for example, urban and rural profitable ways to save and preserve our environment and all of our wildlife. societies and between males and females. If your wish is for the youth of the future to have access to plentiful food, water, clean energy and equal opportunity, Reward supports that and stands with the rest of the world’s mining industry in its aspirational commitment to supply the minerals that will sustainably enable this. Keep taking the straws and eco system will collapse leaving nothing for us to There is no reason to believe that the Lake Disappointment Project, as conceived and currently being stringently survive on or our children and grandchildren. assessed by environmental regulators at the State and Federal level, will lead to any form of ecosystem collapse. This 9 Russell Cavanagh (25) has been demonstrated through the extensive baseline (and ongoing monitoring) studies, that have been conducted by Reward Minerals. I am disappointed that this proposal is being considered. I am a geologist The proponent agrees that there absolutely needs to be a balanced approach to the development of Australia’s having worked in hard rock mineral exploration and mining. I have also worked mineral resources, which is why years of extensive, regional baseline (and ongoing monitoring) studies, have been in the Pilbara region surrounding Newman, Western Australia for many years… conducted by Reward Minerals to ensure that this balance can be credibly achieved at Lake Disappointment.