As someone who has worked extensively in the mining industry (in WA, not SA) but who grew up in the Barossa with a view of the mine landscape from my backyard i can appreciate the arguments of both parties. However at the end of the day, i believe the expansion of the mine would be in the best interests of the Barossa community. Why, because of the jobs it provides, the money it generates for the local community and the wealth it creates for the state. This mine not only employs people who live in the Barossa, and spend money buying petrol, groceries and wine in the Barossa, it also generates royalties for the state which get reinvesting into making the Barossa easier and safer to get to (better roads) and our children smarter individuals (schools) etc. As for the visual impact, yes there will be an eyesore, but no worse than it is already. Is it something a visitor will remember... its unlikely. The vineyards, the great community spirit, the people, the service they receive, that is what they will remember. A blot on the landscape that makes up less than 1% of all they will see, you have to put it all into perspective. But what about the neighbors who live next door and see an increasingly ugly waste dump proceed toward them i hear you ask. Well, from my experience (i have seen lots of waste dumps over the years, even rehabilitated a few of them myself and can tell you the techniques Penrice Soda Products employs, the material they have to work with (the waste is hospitable for growing and sustaining vegetation as opposed to some of the harsh materials elsewhere in the country) and the equipment i suspect they have available or can be hired or bought for the task, the final result can be one where you'd never know there was once a mine and waste dumps unless you had previously seen them. But you have to remember this will be the final result, not something that will happen overnight. The dumping and sculpting to achieve this will take years. I don't know what the mine life is for the deposit, but depending on the reserves, some people mightn't be prepared to wait. But, if you are like me, and can supress your own, selfish opinions for one that is in the best interest of the community and the state, for the future generations to come, then the best decision for all of that is to proceed with the mine. It will exploit the resources, contribute money toward the community, and then, be rehabilitated in association with the neighboring properties to be covered by vegetation and even vineyards. Vineyards you ask, yes even vineyards could grow on the rehabilitated slopes if done properly, by covering the battered down slopes with layers of soil etc. It would be more expensive, but anything is possible with the right materials available. The thing that needs to be committed to by the government, the community but most importantly Penrice Soda Products is the end result. Rehabilitation isn't cheap, and some companies at the end of a mine try and skimp. As long as this isn't allowed to happen (by way of a Government bond paid by PSP or a fund they contribute a percentage of their profits to till the end of the mine etc). At the end of the day, try and put yourself in the shoes of those who work and rely on the mine. How would you go about getting another job to pay the bills, feed, clothe and educate your children if, hypothetically the industry or job you worked in was going to be lost because of a misconception held by somebody or a group of people...