Demos at Australian High Commission in London and outside the London headquarters of mining giant BHP Billiton in solidarity with opponents of expansion of Olympic Dam uranium, copper, gold and silver mine in South Australia occurred on July 13th. Groups taking part included Kick Nuclear and London Mining Network.
The Lizard's Revenge protest against the expansion of the Olympic Dam mine into the world's largest uranium mine began early yesterday (July 12th). After police announced that road would be blocked to the mine throughout the protest a surprise early contingent including the Lizard itself arrived at the "Gates of Hell". In the spirit of the event music, dancing and generally theatrical freakiness descended upon the gates to the mine. A banner was unveiled declaring "Torch Olympic Dam". Police against protestors to move on but the exclusion zone did not begin until midnight that night. The protest camp begins in earnest on July 14th.
RelatedVideo of base camp set up -- Lizard has arrived video -- Lizard's Revenge Facebook page
Recently BHP Billiton announced it proposal to expand the Olympic Dam Uranium Mine in South Australia to become the largest open pit and uranium mine in the world. Traditional owner Uncle Kevin Buzzacott and activist/musician Izzy Brown are organizing the Lizard's Revenge. On 14th July people are gathering for three days to shut down Roxby Downs which is irreversibly poisoning the land and water, contaminating its workers and spreading its deadly export to the Fukishimas of tomorrow and to war zones in the form of Depleted Uranium. As well as blockading the Lizard Festival will include solar and wind powered cinema, Theatre, Cabaret and Art installations, and over 20 musical acts.
MINING GIANT SEEKS COSTS FROM ARABUNNA ELDER AFTER RULING ON CHALLENGE TO FEDERAL APPROVAL OF THE OLYMPIC DAM EXPANSION
MEDIA RELEASE FRIDAY 20th APRIL 2012
In a packed courtroom today Justice Besanko dismissed Uncle Kevin Buzzacott’s challenge of the Federal approval of the Olympic Dam expansion. The judge did not discuss his reasons in the court.
Both BHP and the Federal government are seeking costs from Kevin Buzzacott.
Traditional owners and environmentalists descended on the Melbourne Convention Centre on Thursday 17 November for the BHP Billiton AGM. Using proxies, some twenty Aboriginal elders and supporters gained access to the meeting, while others held a protest outside.
On Day 6 of Occupy Melbourne, a number of protesters joined an action by Friends of the Earth ACE collective at the Melbourne Office of BHP Billiton, timed to coincide with the company's London AGM.
Having marched up Swanston Street to chants of ‘BHP BP Shell/ You can all/Go to hell’ and ‘System Change not Climate Change’, and escorted by about ten uniformed police - with at least one not-very-undercover plain clothes officer - protesters arrived at the headquarters to find it protected by even more.
BHP Billiton Olympic Dam mine expansion in South Australia has received a go ahead from Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke on 10th October 2011. This will create the world's largest open pit mine, over 1km deep, 4.5km long and 3km wide. The export of uranium is expected to increase from an average of 4,000 tonnes per year to 19,000 tonnes per year, and the production of copper, gold and silver also expected to increase. Olympic Dam already consumes an inordinate amount of ground water extracted from the Great Artesian Basin every day - for free. The mine expansion will entail BHP Billiton expanding groundwater extraction and building a 280 megalitres-a-day desalination plant at Point Lowly, northeast of Whyalla on Spencer's Gulf which will impact the only known breeding ground of the giant Australian cuttlefish, prawn fisheries and the sensitive marine environment.
Save Point Lowly | Save the Great Artesian Basin |
Events: National Day of Action against BHP Billiton - Thursday, October 20 - Melbourne Facebook page or Adelaide Facebook page | BHP Billitons Annual General Meeting at the Melbourne convention centre on November the 17th at 10:30am.
Protesters gathered today at the Melbourne head office of BHP Billiton "in solidarity with communities around the world affected by BHP's mining activities, and to show dissent to the proposed expansion and proposed open pit at Olympic Dam uranium mine" (FoE Media release).
The rally also marked the release in London of an 'Alternative Annual Report':
[Quote from FoE media release]
