May 2006 #1 - What Cost? Beaconsfield Gold.

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DATE : Thu, 11 May 2006 11:00:00 EST
Entered in Database : 2006-05-11 03:55:49
length : 4400000
Link to the Show / Show Notes

What does it mean when three go in and only two come out? I've been out of Australia for a week or so and therefore missed the middle bit of the saga of the two guys trapped underground in my home state. The rescuers had recovered the body of the dead miner before I left and the media was gearing up for the search for more bodies. While away I got news that the remaining two were alive but not reachable. I assume it was about then that the media throng swamped the town of Beaconsfield and set up their circus on the lawns outside the mine. Upon returning home I found out that all the big guns were down there. Naomi Robson was on the receiving end of some comments about her accommodation and make-up. Richard Carlton was overwhelmed by a walk up a hill and the one question he got in, before shuffling off this earthly coil, was nothing new. It seemed to me that anyone who was even remotely attached was media fodder. The cheque books were, no doubt, running hot. But what about in a weeks time? A month? Six months? Who will care for the miners then? Who will care for the widows and children left behind? I don't suppose the media with their disposable celebrity moments. I don't suppose the political hopefuls who cashed in on the emotion and hype of the moment. I don't suppose the many fellow "Aussie battlers" who stayed glued to their TV's through Tuesday morning's coverage. What does it mean when three go in and only two come out? I was not at all surprised to find oblique references to the resurrection story. ‘Buried for days but rising triumphantly from their earthly grave'. It did not surprise me that our so called leaders praised the efforts of the "brave" men who "risked their own lives" to "save their mates". It did not surprise me that many in the public were swept up in the celebrity of the event. Opinion formers of the last ten years have worked overtime to try and instil in certain quarters of our society notions of bravery and certain versions of Christian charity. Coming so close to ANZAC day, this event was able to dovetail very well with the PR spin being put on the glorification of war. The rescuers therefore "battled fatigue", "struggled in unbearable conditions" and "fought gallantly against the odds". Militarist jargon overlaid a reality. The discourse of glorifying battle transposed to new context. The public response was understandable. These men were doing a dirty, dangerous job. But not one to secure our military place in history. Rather one to secure profits for the mine owners. What does it mean when three go in and only two come out? In December 2005 the China Daily reported that 5491 coal miners were killed in 2939 accidents in that country. A country renowned for its unsafe work practices. A place in which the men working in the mines are often forced, press gang style, to do so. Here in Australia, no-one is forced to go down a mine shaft and work at the coal face. For many that do, however, the choice is one of upholding the family traditions. "Great grandad in Wales was a miner and all the men in our family have worked the pits," they may say. A fine tradition no doubt. But history demonstrates that when greed gets in the way of good practice, men pay with their lives. A Chinese miner is 117 times more likely to die on the job than a US miner and over 200 times more likely than an Australian miner. Notwithstanding this, the death rate in the Australian mining industry is double that of any other industry. That means miners are twice as likely to die on the job as construction workers or others engaged in high risk occupations. What does it mean when three go in and only two come out? I learnt about Beaconsfield gold when I was at school. I heard about the early days and how the mine was always regarded as one of the toughest and how the miners themselves were revered by their peers who worked much easier mines. How the spin has changed. Today on the home page of the mining company we find, "Beaconsfield Gold - Australia's Richest Gold Resource. High grade, Low Cost Gold Producer." The mine stood inactive for 65 years and although only 26 tons of gold were extracted from the over one million tons of rock removed, some, obviously, thought it was worth a try to get at the still unmined gold reserve. The 2005 Annual Report notes that "Directors are confident that every effort will be made by the Beaconsfield Mine Joint Venture to optimise production from the mine and maximise the value of the resource." The Annual Report also notes that from just under a quarter of a millions tonnes of ore less than 3 tonnes of gold were extracted. What does it mean when three go in and only two come out? Today the mine is getting a yield of one eighth of the gold it did in the early days. Profits are being extracted by using new technology but also by taking more risks. The type of rock being drilled is porous and holds lots of water (one reason the two survivors survived) and it is very unstable. The deeper they go the more unstable it becomes. The risks are high but are they too high? Not if we believe the profiteers. Beaconsfield has relied on the gold mine in the past but with a reduced work force and no real prospects of employment growth the town, like the mine, is doomed. This latest accident has affected many and some more than others. In six months time who will be there for the town? I guess no-one. What it may mean when three go in and only two come out is that we need to question the value we place on commodities. We need to question the quest for more and more ‘things', trinkets or toys. What it may mean is that we need to stop and re-evaluate the kind of society and community we want. Two men came out and we rejoice with their families. One did not and we weep with his. Throughout history gold has caused the deaths of millions as some seek to own and control it. Tens of millions live in poverty because gold rules the minds of their ‘leaders'. For three families, gold has forever changed their lives. Perhaps the real question we need to ask is, is the life of one more miner worth only that of a tonne of gold?

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