January 6th, 2023Just Sayin’…

By Donna Kelly

KYLE and I lived for a year in Karratha, WA. Below Broome, way above Perth. It was 2010 or maybe 2011.
It was an interesting time. I say interesting because I can’t say I really enjoyed it. It is a long way from anywhere and there was not much to do. And it was hot in summer, really hot.

We should have known. We flew over from Melbourne for a meet and greet at the
KI – or Karratha International Hotel – with the board members of the tourism centre
where Kyle had applied for the position of general manager.
It was all very jovial, us and about six board members of varying ages and
professions, all with an interest in tourism and more visitors. For the sake of
conversation I asked where was a good place to eat. “The BP’s not bad,” said one.
Kyle and I laughed good-naturedly, nice one. That is when we should have
known. Turns out the BP was not bad, nor was the Dampier Yacht Club for Chinese –
only 20km away, or the fish and chips the other way at Point Samson – maybe 40km.
Mind you, while we were living there a Chinese restaurant did open up at
Karratha itself. Yay, no more long trips for a few dimmies. Only trouble was, it was
BYO. Nah, not just alcohol. Everything. Plates, chopsticks, glasses, Esky…they did
provide tables. You ordered at the counter, sat down and waited for them to call your
number. Then you collected your order from the counter, all of a metre or so away,
and took your plastic box and plastic bag, ready to go, to your table. I kid you not.
Anyway, when we were there, the mining was going gangbusters. And everyone
was paid a fortune. A cleaner could be on $100,000 at a mine site. Kyle was paid a
packet and we had a free house that was apparently worth over a million, way back
then. And whenever he needed money for some project he would just ask one of the
mining companies, Rio Tinto, etc, for a grant. And they were very happy to oblige.
It was all part of a thing called Royalties for Regions and it was a way of giving
back to the community for all of the iron ore they were digging out and sending to
China. And making a tidy profit on along the way.
I am thinking about this now as an English-based company has an exploratory
licence for an old gold mine site in Daylesford. They are also looking at Glenlyon
and Yandoit. Hmmm. If the mining does eventually go ahead and there is noise and
dust and trucks and rumbling underground, what does this community receive for its
inconvenience?
As far as I am aware there is no Royalties for Regions here. A company
spokesperson told The Local that minerals sector companies directly contributed
over $2.8 million to 63 separate community groups across Victoria in 1920/21.
That’s $41,269 for each group. Pretty nice, you think. But Victoria’s gold industry
production alone, according to Earth Resources’ Regulation Statistical Report, was
worth $1.84 billion in the same time frame. That leaves $997,200,000 in the kitty.
So I can see the point for gold companies to come in, mine under our towns,
maybe give us a few bucks along the way and take away massive profits.
But I really think the time has come, to say fair’s fair, push off now and just let it
lay there. Oh, different era and mineral but I will tell you another time about the rock
art graveyard we saw near Dampier in WA. Meaningful rock art carefully collected
by mining companies, so they could blast away, and placed art side down in a huge
locked up area in the middle of nowhere. “Are you damaging rock art?” “No way.
Look at the care we take to ensure it’s survival.” Just sayin