Concerned Adelaide Hills landholders are ramping up their fight against the proposed re-opening of a 130-year-old gold mine.
The Bird in Hand Mine near Woodside was closed in the 1930s due to flooding but SA mining company Terramin Australia has found there is still a rich gold deposit, worth about $400 million, which could be extracted across five years.
It held a public meeting in Woodside a fortnight ago and two days of public information sessions earlier this week, giving details on the proposed project.
The Inverbrackie Creek Catchment Group fears if Terramin is granted a licence it will be putting at risk businesses with a farmgate turnover of at least $50m, including several major wineries, and 150 jobs.
But Terramin insists such a small project is unlikely to have any detrimental effect on the region and will create 140 full-time jobs.
Inverbrackie Creek Catchment Group chairman Jim Franklin-McEvoy welcomed the formation of the Woodside Consultative Committeee, which will hold its first meeting next week.
But he says it must address the serious concerns of the community not be a rubber stamp for the mine's approval.
ICCG holds grave fears for water quality with rock containing sulphur being recovered, which could lead to sulphuric acid washing into waterways.
Tourism is also at risk from noise pollution from blasting and increased heavy traffic, with the ore to be processed at Terramin’s Angas Zinc mine at Strathalbyn.
“It is hard to see if the mine is operating there would not be a loss of rural businesses dependent on value-adding tourism,” Mr Franklin-McEvoy said.
He is adamant mining cannot coexist with high value agriculture.
“If Terramin can build this mine then any miner can build a mine in any location in this state, no matter how important it is to SA’s food and wine industry,” he said.
Artwine co-owner Judy Kelly says it would be a disaster for one of Australia’s fastest growing wine regions and litte benefit for the state.
Her vineyard is within 400 metres of the mine site.
“They (Terramin) have no great money behind them and a lousy track record with the Strathalbyn mine so for this desecration to even be considered in a productive food bowl is absolute nonsense,” she said.
Terramin chief executive officer Martin Janes says ensuring there is no effect on groundwater is paramount.
“The company has undertaken three years of scientific studies, involving 37 landholders and sampling 55 regional bores, which show that there will be no impact on local groundwater users nor any threat to Adelaide water supply,” he said.