Tanya Plibersek and the billion-dollar gold mine

7am

It’s been a tough few weeks for Jim Beyer, the CEO of Australia’s third largest goldmining company, Regis Resources.

The multi-billion dollar McPhillamy goldmine in NSW had been through all the approvals processes, but at the last minute, Beyer had to tell investors that it likely won’t go ahead.

The announcement comes after an intervention from the Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, on behalf of a group of traditional owners.

The resources industry, the Coalition and conservative parts of the media are all furious, with some claiming that cultural heritage laws are being “hijacked” by green groups.

Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe on Tanya Plibersek, the goldmine, and who should get a say when it comes to approving mining projects.

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Guest: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Mike Seccombe.