The major issues raised with the minister were access to land for opal prospecting and mining, the proposed changes to the Mining Act and increased security bonds.

The minister was accompanied by his chief of staff and policy advisor and the Director General and Titles manager from the Department of Mineral Resources.

The department took Mr Hickey on tour of both the preserved and new fields and he promised he would return to Lightning Ridge in the future and have a more detailed look at our industry.

Review of

environmental factors project begins

Parsons Brinckerhoff, the firm employed by the Department of Mineral Resources to undertake a review of environmental factors (REF) in the Narran-Warrambool Reserve has started the project.

The REF will be prepared in accordance with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and will include such things as the activity and key characteristics of Lightning Ridge and the reserve area, opal mining activities, assessment of the current impacts of opal mining and recommendations to minimise future impacts.

As well as looking at impacts such as air, water, soil, noise, vibration, flora, fauna, revegetation and rehabilitation and heritage they will also look at the socio economic impacts of opal mining.

Project director Hugh Swinbourne and project manager Lisa France were in Lightning Ridge recently to look at opal mining activities and talk to stakeholders.

They brought with them a heritage consultant who will be looking at the indigenous and non-indigenous archaeological and cultural values of the reserve and two students from Charles Sturt University who are surveying the flora and fauna.

The REF should be completed by the end of the year and will provide some advice on how we continue to operate in the future particularly in OPA 4.

New members.

Membership is now due for this financial year.