“Mine Field” is a feature length documentary about how a farming community in East Gippsland fought a mining company and won. It reveals the devastating impact mining has had in a number Victorian rural communities. The film was produced by investigative journalist Peter Vaughn and follows an epic battle by farmers near Bairnsdale to stop a radioactive mineral sand mine.
The film will be screened in the Minerva Room at the Ballarat Mechanics Institute on Saturday September 17 at 5 pm.
Investigative journalist Peter Vaughn will be present for the screening with vegetable grower John Hine from Bairnsdale, who led his local horticulture industry for eight years to resist the mine proposal. They will introduce the film and answer questions afterwards.
The event is sponsored by The Greens to raise public awareness about the impacts of mining and in particular, the Ballarat Gold Mine’s intent to build a tailings dam at Whitehorse Gully. The dam will be close to residents’ homes, an Aged Care service, a soon-to-be-built Childcare Centre and in the local vicinity of five schools (including Sebastopol Primary School and Ballarat Christian College in Sebastopol). There are also risks to the Yarrowee River downstream to the west of the site.
Profits raised from this event will go to support the Greens campaigns in the upcoming state government election for Eureka, Lowan, Ripon and Wendouree.
A trailer for the film is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p6fWmF7CVs
Tickets to the film are at https://victoria.greens.org.au/bdis_soc_20220917
