Training mine 'madness': Expert

Professor Plimer. Source: adelaidenow

A world class academic has described the proposed Doyles Creek Training Mine as "absolute madness" making them "wonderful candidates for organ donors".

Professor Ian Plimer today told the ICAC corruption hearings into Doyles Creek Mine that he attended a meeting with disgraced Minister Ian MacDonald and Mr John Maitland where the proposed training mine was raised with him.

I was quite appalled by it really," Prof Plimer said.

"The last thing you would want to do is have young students in a training mine, underground."

"The students are wonderful candidates for organ donors and Darwin Awards" (a term for people who died in stupid circumstances).

"I said (to them) it was absolute madness and it was not the university's role to be operating a training mine."

It is alleged that Ian MacDonald at that time was courting the Professor to head up a new school of geosciences at the University of Newcastle.

The thing that came to mind (at the meeting) was it was a good way (for the university) to go broke very quickly," Prof Plimer said.

The hearings at ICAC continue.