Spoof Website Launched to Counter 'World Class Miner' Claims

MEDIA RELEASE 09/11/2011                                                                        

This morning Rising Tide Newcastle released a rip-off website to counter the NSW Minerals Council’s latest spin campaign. The Minerals Council launched its public relations campaign at the beginning of this week, which defends the mining industry and tries to paint it as ‘world class’.

 Rising Tide’s parody website, located at www.world-classminers.com.au, loosely mimics the layout and design of the original website, but points to the industry’s poor track record in the areas of environment, community, economy, health and innovation.

 Rising Tide spokesperson and creator of the website, Ned Haughton explains the website was created because “communities are fed up with the mining industry’s spin campaigns.

 “Anxious to secure their place in a carbon-constrained world, the mining industry is increasingly resorting to spin tactics and propaganda campaigns to try and resurrect their flailing image. The community knows that spending money on public relations is not going to fix the poor environmental and community track record of the industry.

 “Time and again, the NSW mining industry has damaged communities, polluted rivers, destroyed biodiversity and prime agricultural land and created health issues in surrounding communities. If this is “world class”, what does that say about the industry globally?

 “The impacts of the industry are real, unlike the spin of the Minerals Council."

The NSW Minerals Council website is at http://www.worldclassminers.com.au.

The Parody website is at http://www.world-classminers.com.au. The Parody website is also available at http://www.worldclasswhiners.com.au

For more comment contact Ned Haughton on 0417 484 735.