Upper Hunter MP Hits Back At Coal Royalty Hike

BY HOLLY FISHLOCK

From July 1 next year, Hunter coal mines will be paying more royalties under a new scheme announced by the state government.

Royalties will increase by 2.6%, a move which has been slammed by Upper Hunter MP Dave Layzell. 

While the NSW Government says the 2.6 percent increase will ensure the state receives a fair return for its resources, Mr. Layzell calls the increase an "outrageous lazy effort" to fund future budgets.

Mr. Layzell says the people of Singleton and Muswellbrook have been overlooked, despite providing over 50 percent of the state's annual coal royalty revenue.

"This is the time when we need the best infrastructure in NSW. In many regards, we don't have it up to normal standard. It's about making sure that royalties benefit those areas that earn them," Mr. Layzell said.

Mr. Layzell also reflected on the current scheme, saying it needs to be reworked to benefit areas bringing in significant amounts of revenue.

"The royalty system has been the same for a long time. It certainly needs to be looked at about how that system works for those areas that are actually earning the money," he said.

NSW Greens Pledge to Use Coal Royalties to Fund the Region's Energy Transition

BY OLIVIA DILLON

The NSW Greens have announced they will introduce a new authority to support the Hunter's transition away from coal, if they win the state election. 

The NSW Transition Authority will use a budget of $500 million, to assist coal-dependent communities to diversify their local economies. 

The Authority will be funded using a progressive coal royalty system, modelled off one currently operating in Queensland. 

It's already estimated to earn the state government an extra $8 billion per year. 

The body will also ban new coal and gas projects like the one slated for Narrabri, will help re-train and place mine workers in new industries. 

Greens MP Abigail Boyd, said coal-ash recycling is one such example. 

"There are thousands of jobs that we can create in various industries, but one of the ones that the Greens have been working with the community for over the last four years in Parliament, is this growing awareness that there is a huge amount of coal-ash sitting in coal-fired power stations, that you can actually turn into light-weight construction aggregates; you can use them in roads, and in pathways."

She also said local residents and workers will be involved in every step of the process. 

Image: Lock the Gate

Whitehaven Proposal Gains Planning Approval

BY OLIVIA DILLON

Whitehaven Coal's underground Narrabri mine has received planning approval for its proposed extension. 

The proposal will see the mine's longwall operations extended, and the life of the site will be prolonged by 13 years until 2044. 

The company says the move will be a lifeline for hundreds of jobs in the region, while also allowing royalty payments to the NSW government to continue for more than a decade. 

However, opponents of the project, including the Lock the Gate Alliance, say the extension will also be responsible for nearly half a billion tonnes of carbon emissions.

National Coordinator for the Lock the Gate Alliance, Georgina Woods, said the expansion of the Narrabri mine will make the site responsible for the highest volume of direct and indirect carbon emissions of any coal project regulated by the Independent Planning Commission. 

"We simply can't afford to lock in further methane and carbon dioxide emissions in the form of a coal mine expansion on this scale, especially when people in Australia are suffering the really terrible consequences of extreme climate change," she said. 

Ms Woods also expressed concern for farmers in the region, noting the impacts of drawn-down groundwater on the surrounding area. She said there is expected to be "at least eight or nine" farm bores affected by the coal mine, however local farmers believe this number to be much higher. 

"The underground mine also goes beneath the Pilliga Forest, which is a really crucial habitat refuge for threatened species, and because the longwall panels are so wide and so long, it's going to cause significant disruption on the surface and require clearing in the forest," she said. 

The project will go before a public hearing of the state's Independent Planning Commission on February 14. 

"We are now relying on the Independent Planning Commission to review this mining project in detail and hear from the local community, just how poor a record Whitehaven Coal has. They need to reject this coal mine expansion, not just in the interest of preventing climate change, but also to safeguard the groundwater resources that farmers in the Namoi rely on for their livelihoods," Ms Woods said. 

Image: Whitehaven Coal website