00:00These rolling green hills near Blaney in the state's central west have become the battleground
00:07for a stoush between state and federal labour.
00:11At the centre is a mining company whose plans to dig for gold are now on hold.
00:16We're not exactly sure in what direction we can take, but we will look at it because it's
00:22a project that we think is worth pursuing.
00:24The project stalled when the Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, granted an Aboriginal
00:28protection order over the proposed site of a waste storage.
00:33The tailings dam was to be built on the headwaters of the nearby Bulubula River.
00:38If we want to protect cultural heritage, decisions like this to protect important places have
00:45to be made.
00:47The mine's owner says the project is now unviable.
00:51That's not actually the case.
00:53This is a 2,500 hectare site and I've protected 400 hectares of that.
00:59The company disagrees, saying other parts of the mine site are either not suitable for
01:04a tailings dam or have already been excluded.
01:08The Premier, Chris Minns, says he's disappointed but has stopped short of offering to fast-track
01:13any revised development application.
01:16In Blaney, residents are bemused.
01:19The town needs it.
01:21If you're not going ahead, you're going backwards.
01:25I just think they should have looked into something as simple as Aboriginal artefacts
01:30a long time ago.
01:31Regis Resources says it's speaking to the Federal Environment Department and is considering
01:36its legal options.
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