Councilor Crawford (Nerren Nerren Station) and Hamelin Pool Station owner Brian Wake have submitted formal objection to Gunsons current proposals where the drilling of water is concerned.

In 8 pages of argument put to the Department of Environment and Protection, Councilor Crawford and Brian Wake, endorsed by the Council as a whole have raised some ten major concerns relative to the $60 million proposed mining project approx. 30 kms inland from the Useless Loop turn off. Chief concern is that of water. The argument put forward is that a heavy draw from this artesian source will affect the levels. This source, at some 300 m's depth, is referred to as the Birdong aquifer from which some 18 bores currently draw from in this Shire alone, and going back to the 1960s. It is argued that a source of water at yet greater depth referred to as the Korke formation should instead be drawn upon. Hamelin Station claims a drop in water pressure would have serious economic repercussions on not only stock but also a proposed aquaculture industry, tourism and current water generating systems.

 Allied objections which the Council have endorsed revolve around dust on vegetation rendering plants unpalatable to stock, loss of grazing land, salt water 'mounding', increased traffic and 'population pressure' associated with the operation that will have an impact on the roads. A crucial sentence in the submission incorporates the words "....a suitable annual compensation settlement." Editors Note David Harley of Gunsons has pointed out that there are in fact three, not two, aquifiers in the Shark Bay district. Starting at the top there are: Windalia Radiolante, Birdong Sandstone and the Kopke Sandstone. There is also a fourth - the Tumblagooda Sandstone- but this is far too deep for economic use. Ground water flows through all these aquifers. Their estimates are the Coburn project will draw about 0.03% of the total groundwater resource over the life of this project.

 It must be remembered that the primary role of pastoralists involves the leasing of Crown land on which to graze sheep. The Crown has in place such instrumentalities as the Mines Department to deal with applications for the mining of minerals and allied sub-terrainian activities.

 Residents of Shark Bay will recall the strenuous arguments put forward by Councilor Crawford and other members of the Pastoralist ward such as Brian Wake why the strongly opposed Denham Quays should have gone ahead...how such development would be good for us etc. They are now putting up similar arguments as we in town did when we opposed the Quays. There are, however, some profound differences. The Denham Quays was to be huge edifice right under our noses with all manner of social, economic and environmental repercussions.

 The hostility by the majority vote was such that there was no talk of any compromise let alone compensation. The Gunsons project is well and truly out of site. Yes, there will be an increase of trucks on that otherwise empty stretch of some 100kms of highway. But how much time do any of the pastoralists spend sitting on the highway The subject of water, however, is a legitimate concern and the pastoralists, as anyone else, are entitled to have that question gone into thoroughly. A concern we do have is that of the integrity of their protestations. Either there is enough water or there is not. If not, then we as a community should fight this project tooth and nail. But this talk of a suitable settlement suggests that the disquiet about water reserves is secondary to the potential for some big compensation.