The State Government is reviewing mining rehabilitations policies and processes, including management of final voids, in the Hunter region following concerns about the long-term environmental impacts on the mining industry.
The future of thousands of hectares of land will rely on rehabilitation projects to try and replicate other mining rehabilitations projects which has resulted in the revegetation of significant areas.
Bulga Milbrodale Progress Association Vice President John Krey says the government needs to start looking closely at their priorities when it comes to the mines.
John Krey also explains that the land will not be of any use without a rehabilitation.
"If the mine areas are not rehabilitated, you have moonscape right through this part of the hunter valley. You can't grow anything on it, even on the rehabilitated stuff. You can't grow crops, all that good farming land that they will be digging up to get coal for will be unusable.
"The regulations should be such that the voids will be back-filled and properly rehabilitated, and that the area of bare ground should be kept to a minimum and the rehabilitation to the followed up right behind the areas of excavation and mining".
 |
| State Government is looking to review Hunter mines for rehabilitation. Image- Newcastle Coal Mines website |
