An 11-person team of SMSL representatives and advisors have just completed a week-long campaigning visit in Perth and Fremantle.
They lobbied both state and federal politicians and trade unions to delay and/or to stop the Lynas rare earth project in Malaysia. They forged links and solidarity with key civil society groups actively involved in the anti-nuclear movement. They have also made their presence known by holding market stalls in Fremantle and presented in two public forums – one in Perth and one in Fremantle. The team ended with a theatrical protest action outside Lynas Corporation’s Perth office. The protest action was joined by supporters from Western Australia including retired Senator Jo Valentine.
The campaign tour has resulted in many positive outcomes. Almost all of the people met have little knowledge of the Lynas’ plant in Malaysia and many were appalled by the modus operandi of this mining corporation.
[Pic -With Green Party State Assemblymen Robin Chapple(front left2) & Lynn MacLaren(front left 4)]
Of utmost importance is the commitment made by the Mayor of Fremantle Mr Brad Pettite to work with other Fremantle Councillors, state and federal politicians to call for the Lynas rare earth refinery to be relocated back to Australia.
The state Member of Parliament for Fremantle Adele Carles raised alarm on the risk of transporting the rare earth concentrate as non-hazardous materials in the state’s highway traversing through populated suburbs of Perth and the city of Fremantle. Previously, a similar mode of transportation of lead by a company by the name of Magellan has caused serious hazards for the community living near the Port of Esperance.
The people of Fremantle are already jittery with the risk associated with this and now they are faced with the transportation of rare earth concentrate through their suburbs.
Adele is committed to call for an inquiry into the risk and hazards of the transportation of the concentrate to delay the export of the raw materials to Malaysia.
SMSL has sought assistance from the Australian National Toxic Network to get their expertise and technical knowledge to provide an in-depth analysis of the range of risks and hazards of the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant in Gebeng. This will provide a clearer picture of the wide range of problems to be considered over and beyond the narrow focus of the IAEA peer review carried out in June.
Despite having to compete with hundreds of other media stories, the visit of SMSL has attracted several leading articles in the front page of the financial section of the major newspapers and was broadcasted in local radio. The campaign of SMSL in Fremantle has especially got front page coverage in the Fremantle Gazette which is widely read by the people of the city.
In summary, SMSL met with 7 politicians, 3 trade union organisations and/or their union representative including their peak body Unions WA. SMSL also met and discussed the issue with Doctors for Environment, the Anti-Nuclear Alliance of WA and the peak body of the environmental groups in the state, the Conservation Council of Western Australia as well as the principal solicitor of the Environmental Defenders Office. All of the individuals and organisations met have undertaken to take the issues up within their capacity and in accordance with their respective roles and responsibility to delay and/or stop the project.
SMSL will return to Malaysia in good spirit albeit the hectic and exhausting week-long campaign sleeping in bunk beds in a basic backpacker hostel at one stage.
Steve Hang
Save Malaysia / Media & Communications
