"The Planning and Assessment Commission must reject coal mine expansion": Lock the Gate

BY JARROD MELMETH

Lock the Gate Alliance are calling on the Planning Assessment Commission to reject a recomendation from the Department of Planning and Environment to increase the size of Hunter Valley Operations South coal mine and final void.

In its recomendation the Department of Planning and Environment says the mine would produce an extra 56.8 million tonnes of coal per year as well as increase the size of the final void from the 404 hectares approved in 2008, to 523 hectares.

Georgina Woods from Lock the Gate said says increasing the size of the mine poses risks to the Hunter River.

"Already the Hunter Valley Operations mine straddles the Hunter River and the pits come very close to the main channel of the river and its alluvium. The river is also losing water to the mining pits. There are ongoing cummulative impacts on water resources in the region already as a result of the rampant open-cut mining that has been allowed to take place too close to the main arm of the river," Ms Woods said.

Hunter Valley Operations South coal mine.

Gloucester Community Won the Battle

BY TYLER FARDELL


The proposed Rocky Hill coal mine near Gloucester has long been a contentious point for many residents and the battle appears to be over for now.

The NSW Planning Assessment Commission rejected the proposal of the mine, stating it was too close in proximity to Gloucester, have a significant visual impact and would exceed the maximum noise limits.

The news was welcomed by much of the local community, as well as Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

"It's a win for the community, for the environment and for renewable energy", he said.

"Coal is the way of the past and it's about time the government realized that".

The residents who campaigned to stop the mine know the war isn't over yet, not until the State government buys back the licence to the mine.

Currently, Gloucester Resources still have the licence to build the Rocky Hill mine and have stated they intend to repeal the rejection by the planning commission in the Land and Environment Court.

A petition calling for the Government to buy back the licence has already amassed more than 4500 signatures, to end the issue once and for all.

Rocky Hill coal mine protest group
Source 'Green Left Weekly'

Bylong coal mine project could devastate Hunter environment

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Plans for the new Bylong Coal Project between Denman and Mudgee have been dealt yet another blow with the Planning Assessment Commission (PCA) slamming the project.

The PAC report on the KEPCO coal mine project slammed it for gaps in evidence and high levels of uncertainty, particularly about the potential cumulative impacts on the Bylong Valley and the community. The report also flagged numerous issues with water access, protection of surrounding agriculture and incomplete information.

There are particular concerns for the Hunter Valley from the Lock the Gate Alliance who say the scathing review revealed the Bylong coal project would directly open cut rich farmland in the Hunter and severely impact Tarwyn Park.

NSW Greens energy and resources spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham says the mine will destroy ecologically and environmentally important areas throughout the Hunter and the state.

"The area must be protected for its agriculture and tourism value plus its environmental values in an age of climate change the greens do not believe we should be opening up new coal mines in NSW."

If approved the mine will extract a total of 124 million tonnes, roughly 6.5 million each year, from both open cut operations and underground. Jeremy Buckingham is urging the government to reconsider the mine and realise just how much it will wreck the Bylong Valley, its community and the surrounds.

"The Bylong Valley must be protected, it's important, ecological,, agricultural, and our tourism assets will be destroyed by this stupid coal mine. We have major climate change and we do not need to be opening coal mines, the Greens are calling on the government to cancel their exploration licence  and give the people, the Bylong Valley and NSW certainty that that region will be protected from destructive coal mining."