REGIS Resources has turned to members of the Bathurst Golf Club for support as the company tries to convince Bathurst Regional Council to sell treated wastewater to be diverted by pipeline to a proposed gold mine at Kings Plains.
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Just before the December 21 deadline for submissions on the proposal, club members were encouraged to back the venture by club professional Matt Barrett via his newsletter.
This followed a meeting between the club and Regis’ dev-elopment manager, who described himself as a keen golfer.
The meeting centred on the possibility of the golf club being able to tap into the pipeline and use some of the treated effluent for its fairways and greens.
However, golf club secretary/manager Brad Constable said it was for club members to decide for themselves where they stood in relation to being for or against the sale of the waste water to Regis.
“It’s their personal choice,” he said. “As a club, the board believes it is not appropriate that it gets involved but, as for members, what they do is totally their own decision.
“Regis has told us that even if the pipeline gets the green light, it cannot give any guarantees to the golf club that the waste water would be available to it.”
According to Mr Barrett’s newsletter, the proposed path of the pipeline is not yet finalised, but it may go close to the golf club.
“This has tremendous prospects for our golf course irrigation,” the newsletter states. “The creation of increased employment opportunities, combined with the fact that this project would be a residential rather than fly in, fly out operation, would also enable our golf club to increase its membership and expand our activities.
“We have had a meeting with the development manager of Regis Resources, who is a very keen golfer. He wants to be a part of our great club as a member and is looking to support us in any way.
“From our meeting he would like to help in the provision of an allocation of treated effluent water that is piped past our golf club on the way to the gold mine. He will also provide expert mining geologists for the search and support of prospective bores and help with machinery if required for the development of the golf course and/or increased water storage.
“I can see this as one of the most important partnerships our golf club could have and the opportunity to take our golf course to the next level. But we need your support.
“Bathurst Regional Council are asking for emails or letters of feedback from the community to help gauge their decision to allow the approval of the mine. These submissions need to be in by December 21, so we need to act fast.
“I understand not all members may support this but if you would like to see our golf course go to the next level with the support of Regis Resources could you please click here, print out this document and place your name and address on the draft letter.”