PHOTO: Macquarie Marshes landholder Garry Hall says the regulator’s decision is ‘unfathomable’. IMAGE: Leanne Hall
The Resources Regulator who approved the application of Canadian owned Australian Consolidated Gold Holdings to drill in the protected Macquarie Marshes area has reconsidered its position with a slight pivot which voids the earlier decision.
However concerned stakeholders say the door has been left open for the mining exploration company to have another shot at gaining approval for trial drill sites in the environmentally sensitive area.
In a letter received by landholders Garry and Leanne Hall, the Resources Regulator stated “…the decision maker when making the decision was not provided with all relevant and accurate information therefore the decisions were not validly made.
“As such, both decisions to grant the (assessable prospecting approvals) APOs were not decisions at law and have no legal effect.”
The Regulator has given the mining company 10 days to supply more information before a final decision is announced, therefore effectively giving the company a second chance…