Five candidates for the seat of Clarence in the March 25 state election have signed a pledge launched by the Clarence Catchment Alliance to oppose and ban mineral mining developments in the Clarence catchment.

With the lifeblood of the valley, the Clarence River in the background, the Clarence Catchment Alliance CCA hosted the Greens Greg Clancy, Labor’s Leon Ankersmit, Community Independent Debrah Novak, Independent Nicki Levi, Indigenous Australia Party’s Brett Duroux and Legalise Cannabis Party’s Mark Rayner, plus candidates from Lismore and Coffs Harbour and Greens MLC Sue Higginson for the event on Friday, March 17.

Yaegl elder Aunty Diane Randall performed a Welcome to Country for the more than 50 people who gathered for the event at Yamba’s Whiting Beach carpark.

“Our community relies on clean water, we are water people,” she said.

Clarence Catchment Alliance CCA spokeswoman Shae Fleming said mining in the catchment was an issue that extended beyond the seat of Clarence, as the catchment extends north to the Drake area and south to Coffs Harbour.

The pledge, Ms Fleming said came about after the CCA attended a meet the candidates’ night in Grafton and every one of the local candidates said they were anti mining in the Clarence catchment.

By signing the pledge (below), Ms Fleming said the candidates were demonstrating their progressive leadership and standing up for other communities that had been targeted by the state government as a hotspot for mineral mining.

“I (insert name) commit that I will oppose mineral mining developments in the Clarence catchment due to the threat it poses on rivers and water our community so heavily relies on,” the pledge says.

“I commit to the banning of mineral mining in the Clarence catchment to protect the social, environmental, cultural and economic wellbeing of the region.”

The Greens candidate for Clarence Greg Clancy said the decision to sign the pledge was ‘a no brainer’.

“Mining in this wonderful ecological area is just not on,” he said.

“Where the Cangai mine was, which closed a couple of decades ago, that part of the river is dead.

“Talk to the experts and they will tell you that mining has no place in a catchment like the Clarence.”

Labor candidate Leon Ankersmit said he could not sign the pledge as it was against current Labor policy, but if elected he would work to change that policy and protect the Clarence catchment.

“I will fight very hard within NSW Labor if I’m elected as your member, let me assure you, you have a friend in me and I will sign that pledge the moment that NSW Labor comes across the line,” he said.

Independent Nicki Levi said she signed the pledge because ‘water is sacred, water is precious, water is life’.

“If there is one thing we need to do in the Clarence electorate, that is protect the air in the Richmond Valley and protect the water in the Clarence Valley,” she said.

Community Independent Debrah Novak said the lifestyle we are all accustomed to enjoying in the region was under threat from mining in Clarence catchment.

“If elected I will be lobbying to buy back all the mining licences in our catchment, like what was done with the CSG (coal seam gas),” she said.

Legalise Cannabis Party candidate Mark Rayner said he was happy to support the anti-mining pledge.

“I am signing this to show that we are dedicated to keeping the land and environment clean,” he said.

Indigenous Australia Party candidate Brett Duroux said he signed the pledge to protect the catchment for future generations.

“I think they are all stupid for wanting to mine our land, minerals are not important as our lives, our future,” he said.

Ms Fleming said the CCA campaign to stop mining in the Clarence catchment had garnered support from Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan, Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann, proud Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung man Troy Cassar Daley and the Yamba Chamber of Commerce.

“Mineral mining in the Clarence River catchment has the potential to devastate the river’s ecology while simultaneously crippling the economy of Yamba and the wider Clarence valley,” Yamba Chamber of Commerce president James Dallan said.

“With no potential for benefit, this is a risk the business community of Yamba cannot accept”. 

This article appeared in the Clarence Valley Independent, 22 March 2023.