The NSW Department of Planning has announced the approval of a new open cut mine in the Hunters Bylong Valley despite the disapproval of the Lock the Gate Alliance, describing it as 'unfathomable'.
The assessment of underground water impacts, noise impacts on some properties and subsidence impacts or more than 17 thousand hectares was enough to give this project the all clear.
But, the Hunter Regional Coordinator for the Lock the Gate Alliance Steve Philips says the proposed mine will ruin the heritage of the site.
"This is an extremely picturesque and highly agriculturally productive valley that doesn't have any coal mines in it at the moment and the proposed mine would basically dig all that up.
"It involves digging up graves and churches, cutting up strategic agricultural land, digging up some really precious and irreplaceable Aboriginal cultural heritage sites and emptying this rural community".
Mr Philips also stated that the community doesn't deserve to suffer.
"Many of the inhabitance of the Bylong Valley have already been forced out. This is the injustice that happens with mining approvals in a state where before the mines even approved, there in there muscling people out of the valley and then they turn around to the government and say well we already own most of the valley so you should give us our mine now.
"Communities shouldn't have to pay the price for the government's addiction to approving coal mines".
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| Sign against mining in the Bylong Valley Credit- The Land |
