THE announcement of state government approval for the Hillside Copper Project on Yorke Peninsula has provided farming groups further incentive to oppose mining decisions at a rally in Adelaide on Saturday.
Protest groups for the Save our Foodbowl, Water & Tourism rally will converge on the steps of Parliament House at 10am, followed by a march to Victoria Square.
The rally is being organised by The Yorke Peninsula Landowners Group, Eyre Peninsula's Stop Invasive Mining and Limestone Coast Protection Alliance.
YP Landowners' Group chairperson Stephen Lodge said the mining go-ahead "could open a floodgate".
"If the mine does go ahead, I think people will be surprised when they realise ... how much farmland will be taken out," he said.
"But Rex has still got a long way to go. There have been 100 recommendations set by DMITRE and Rex needs to accept those."
SA Greens leader Mark Parnell described the announcement as a "very bad decision".
"SA is a big state, but only a small proportion (of land) is available for farming land (now) under threat," he said.
"This land could produce wealth, jobs and food for thousands of years (but) it could now be sterilised for the sake of a 15-year mining project."
Mr Lodge believed the approval of Rex Minerals' mine could encourage more people to attend the rally on Saturday.
Mr Parnell said the jobs associated with mining were a positive, but not at the expense of long-term farming.
"The YP is one of the best quality graingrowing areas we have," he said.
"This (mine) will leave land virtually worthless, it certainly won't be possible to farm it."
Mr Parnell said the minerals under question were very common and could be found in other parts of the state.
"We need to have mines in the right location - away from agricultural land," he said.
* Full report in Stock Journal, July 31, 2014 issue.
