Australian Tin Resources (ATR) proposed turning Ardlethan’s tin mine into a Sydney landfill last year, drawing fierce criticism from communities, businesses and elected officials across the Riverina.

There was tentative relief earlier this month when ATR announced they would process tailings instead of dumping rubbish, but Don’t Rubbish the Riverina chairwoman Renee Doyle said a newsletter from the company in May revealed its intention to push on with the landfill project and called the moves a “smokescreen”.

“Since 2007 they’ve had an approval to do a pilot test plant to reprocess tailings,” Mrs Doyle said. 

“We think this is a ploy to avoid rehabilitation because the landfill approval wasn’t as quick as they’d hoped.”

However, ATR director Peter Francis “totally refuted” Mrs Doyle’s claims, saying the company had always intended to reprocess tailings.

“This has always been our preferred course of action,” he said. 

“Despite our best efforts and considerable expense, it is only recently that we have been able to find a technical solution for reprocessing the tailings that appears to be economically viable.

“This is now our top priority and we have formally advised the Department of Planning that we have stopped all work on the landfill project in favour of re-opening the mine for tailings re-processing.”

Neighbours objected to ATR subsidiary Ardlethan Environmental Solutions’ application to acquire a crown road needed to provide access to the site from Burley Griffin Way and the main Temora-Griffith railway line, lodging a claim to acquire it.

In response, the company objected to the neighbours’ claim leading to a stalemate, according to Mr Francis. He said the crown road was not necessary because access would be via Tin Mines Road.