BHP on a Water Hunt
Mining giant BHP Billiton has the markets excited about its plans to expand its Roxby Downs copper and uranium mines to be the biggest in the world. Unfortunately the location of the mines, in the South Australian desert, makes water quite a problem. David Noonan from the Australian Conservation Foundation says the company’s proposal to increase fivefold its water uptake from the Great Artesian Basin could seriously endanger the pressure in the system. Richard Yields from BHP says the company has other options including building a desalination plant at a cost of half a billion dollars. He says the government should contribute as outback communities would benefit. David Noonan denies that the largest mining company in the world needs any public subsidies.