- Mt. Canobolas & Lake Canobolas
- Rain & Floods
- Object :: Pluviometer
- Object :: Tipping Bucket
- Object :: Rainfall Records
- Introducing Water in Orange
- Object :: Douglas Pump
- Spiritual Dimensions
- Interview :: Ian Marr
- Object :: Ian Marr Bench
- Interview :: Carl MacKander
- Object :: Baptismal Font
- Object :: Chalices
- Interview :: Mandy Martin
- Wiradjuri People
- Interview :: Joyce Williams
- Object :: Painting by Joanne Reid
- Canowindra Fish Fossils
- Object :: Fossils
- Swamps & Wetlands
- Interview :: Rodney Tonkin
- Interview :: Jill Campbell
- Object :: Willow
Mandy Martin
Mandy Martin is an artist whose family owns a property adjacent to Cadia Hill Gold Mine and also leases a neighbouring property from the mine. Her artistic response to the impact of the mine has been a collaborative, interdisciplinary project she organised for the Environment Studio at the National Institute of the Arts at the Australian National University titled 'Land$cape: Gold Water'.
"The particular thing I learnt from 'Landscape: Gold Water', which really placed everything into perspective, was the concept of the total energy 'footprint' of the mine to produce one gold ring. I'd never approached a landscape like that before but I think we have to start thinking about things like that."
There have always been companies searching for new ore bodies all around the Cadia Region and on all of our properties. It was no great surprise when Newcrest announced it was developing Cadia.
Because we had been involved in other development applications which involved global forces meeting small stakeholders, we felt it was better to approach the development constructively. We tabled our concerns about threatened species, and endangered habitat through the National Parks Association. We knew from the beginning that the main problem for the mine development was that there was not sufficient water.
Our experiences with other large development applications led us to believe it was better to keep communication channels open and work towards an outcome that was beneficial to all parties. It hasn't really affected the creeks on our properties or the Belubula River because the mine is only allowed to extract its allocation of water when there is sufficient water flow.
The particular thing I learnt from 'Landscape: Gold Water', which really placed everything into perspective, was the concept of the total energy 'footprint' of the mine to produce one gold ring. I'd never approached a landscape like that before but I think we have to start thinking about things like that.
There still is a chance to preserve natural habitat and maintain an equilibrium on agricultural lands here. The drought has shown how fragile this landscape is.