Part 5. the Battle of Bet Bet 1986-1988
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The New Dissenters The Renewal of Victorian Goldfields Agitation in the 20th Century Part Five The Battle of Bet Bet 1986-1988 The Battle of Bet Bet was about a local government placing a whole new layer of approvals and bonds on Miner’s Right Claims and Leases. It also tried to introduce a set of heritage overlays they effectively shut down the shire in respect of mining. It culminated a period of intense anti-mining ideology. Prior, in the years 1986 and 1987 there was a near unbelievable continuous inflow of argument and expectations about mining law, rights and amendments. This included intense activity from land protection groups and the government with its rapidly multiplying departments. The only people who did not go on the anti-mining attack were the small-scale gold miners, who found themselves continuously on the defensive against further restrictions and losses. Underlying and disguised by all of this chaos and regulatory tinkering was a new threat which appeared to be simply another review of mining. Stephen Barnham Copyright Stephen Barnham 2011 The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work, and owner of this intellectual property. DEDICATION To the previously unrecognised people who worked so hard to try and protect Victoria’s gold prospecting and small-scale gold mining heritage and those who realise the importance of understanding your own history. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS John’s wife Nola Winter who had the foresight not to throw out numerous documents when John Winter died. Anne Doran who carefully saved mining related Central Victorian newspaper articles and typed many letters for Frank Kopacka. To John Tully who encouraged me keep going while I worried continuously. To Peter Bridge of Hesparian Press whose insistence on the importance of historical integrity. Numerous people named in the work regardless of their views. GENERAL COMMENTS This series has been written substantially using material that is unique and not to be found in public records. Although not written by an academic or with any training, the author lived through these changes and events. It was written from the perspective of a gold prospector and small-scale gold miner with a sense of lost heritage, lost rights and consequently lost opportunities. In consequence the author acknowledges there will be bias. In literally spending years sorting and writing this material as a history and a guide to avoiding past mistakes, the author discovered that no interest group was happy. FOOTNOTE CODES Some footnotes have a letter code. These refer to Dunolly Museum archive documents, interviews, newspaper clippings. COPYRIGHT All rights reserved. Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review as provided under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced, stored or transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of the author or publisher. DISCLAIMER This publication may be of assistance to the reader/user, however, the author and publisher do not guarantee, state, imply or present that the document is a complete publication covering all aspects of the subject matter, is without flaw of any kind or is solely appropriate for the particular usage purpose, and disclaim all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from relying on any information in this publication. WARNING This contains contentious subjects, people and events including people known to abuse litigation as a means of control. The contents are from archives, often in handwriting or signed letters. As well as being able to prove the material presented, there is a lot of “interesting” documentation that was never used. Think carefully before taking the lid off Pandora’s Box. Come what may, the author will not “revise” inconvenient history. Table of Contents CHAPTER 24. 1986........................................................................................................................1 Land Use Introduction, Mining Vs Lifestyle, 1986...........................................................................................1 Gold and Taxation review, 1986.......................................................................................................................2 Taxation and Concerns for Western Australia, 1986.........................................................................................2 Gold Tax Submission Extracts, PMAV, 1986...................................................................................................2 Aboriginal Cultural Heritage, Victoria, PMAV Submission, February 1986....................................................3 5-Hectare Claim Submission, February 1986....................................................................................................4 Delegation to Minister Fordham, March 1986..................................................................................................5 Development Leases and George Letunica, The Flawed Concept, 1986...........................................................5 Insurance Council of Australia and Public Liability, March 1986....................................................................8 Occupiers Liability and the Shire of Bet Bet (Dunolly), May 1986..................................................................9 Reimers Family and Mining, March 1986........................................................................................................9 Death of Mining Warden, Roydon John Elliott, April 1986............................................................................10 Mines Act Amendment Bill, April 15th 1986.................................................................................................11 Neil Saville, Interview 2006 Re Cowboy Miners, 1986..................................................................................13 Victorian Chamber of Mines to be Established, April 1986............................................................................13 Douglas Mine, Dispute, Chiltern, 1986...........................................................................................................15 Gold In Victoria, Proposed Development Initiative, 1986..............................................................................16 Tarnagulla, Mining Public Meeting April 1986..............................................................................................17 Horsham Area Exempt Lands, April 1986......................................................................................................19 Mining Warden Powers PMAV Press Release, June 1986..............................................................................19 Conservation, Forests and Lands Proposed Legislation Withdrawn, July 1986..............................................20 Revitalising the Gold Mining Industry, Submission July 1986.......................................................................21 PMAV Annual General Meeting, 1986...........................................................................................................21 Development Lease Vs Letunica, Saga Conclusion, 1986..............................................................................21 Victorian Chamber of Mines, Restart 1986.....................................................................................................21 Minister for Conservation, Joan Kirner, Looks at Mining in Central Victoria November 1986......................22 Madmans Lane, Maryborough, November 1986.............................................................................................23 Regional Manager Conservation, Forests and Lands wants gold price drop, December 1986........................23 Australian Broadcasting Corporation Four Corners Program, October 2006..................................................24 CHAPTER 25. 1987......................................................................................................................25 Misunderstanding, Misinformation and Anti-Mining Complaints, 1987........................................................25 Mining Rights Verses Land Owner Rights, February 1987............................................................................27 Goldfields Action Information Alliance, 1987................................................................................................28 Title Granting Problems, PMAV Press release, March 1987..........................................................................30 Planning & Environment Bill to Replace Town and Country Planning Act, February 1987...........................30 Chiltern Mine of Clive and Arthur Douglas, Update Report, May 1987.........................................................30 Maldon and Government Plans, May 1987.....................................................................................................31 Flora and Fauna Guarantee Submission, August 24th 1987............................................................................32 Alpine Area Planning Proposals, Submission, August 1987...........................................................................32 Mines Bill (Miscellaneous Amendments), 1987.............................................................................................32 Miscellaneous Mines Amendments, PMAV Press Release September 1987..................................................34 Miscellaneous Mines Amendments, Report on Castlemaine Public Meeting October 1987...........................34