By NOEL MURPHY
COAL MINE opponents fear Alcoa’s Anglesea power plant could be expanded for export sales to Asia.
Surf Coast Air Action (SCAA) believes at least two Asian companies are interested in the open-cut mine and power station amid a “secret push” to move the coal through a deepened Geelong port.
SCAA spokesperson Regina Gleeson said “confidential sources” believed Asian-based companies might be interested in buying the facility.
Ms Gleeson said the closure of Alcoa’s Point Henry operations would leave Victoria over-supplied with electricity and the value of the Anglesea mine reduced unless exploited for coal exports.
“Why would a company spend millions to buy a mine when you’re already over-supplied? The Victorian Government actively promotes export sales from the Latrobe Valley (and) Anglesea is a very rich site.
“When you put it all together…”
A SCAA statement cited fears that any sale might fail to honour Alcoa’s past guarantees about restricting the mining area.
The statement quoted Anglesea resident Colleen Packham expressing concern and “an expansion of mining into the fragile Anglesea heath (and) coal being trucked to Geelong on local roads, (which) would be a nightmare for residents”.
Ms Gleeson said any mine expansion for coal experts would sound a “death knell for local business that rely upon the tourist dollar”.
SCAA’s Dr Jacinta Morahan said Anglesea residents were “understandably anxious because they are being kept in the dark and treated with contempt by both Alcoa and the State Government”.
“People are entitled to know who is interested in buying. Will the mine expand and, if so, by how much?
“Will coal be trucked out of town for export, giving rise to further serious health and environmental concerns?”
Alcoa had not responded to the Independent’s request for comment before the paper went to press but last week it confirmed multiple potential buyers had expressed interest in the site.
A spokesperson for Transport and Roads Minister Terry Mulder said State Government had “no plans to export coal out of Geelong port”.
“If Alcoa was in talks with any Asian companies that would be commercial in confidence, they would not be required to notify government.
“They don’t have to come to us until there might be plans and then they’d be subject to regulations. It’s out of our hands at this stage.
“The Essential Services Commission is the independent body that oversees these things. The only part we play is ensure they continue to act in line with regulations they are subject to and they are doing that.”
Eighty jobs will be lost if Alcoa fails to find a buyer for the Anglesea site, which supplies power to the company’s Point Henry plant.
Alcoa begins closing Point Henry next week, with the loss of 800 jobs.
