Calls to phase out coal loader in Carrington

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The Tighes Hill Community Group have written to the Port of Newcastle asking for Port Waratah Coal Services' (PWCS) Carrington Coal loader not to extend it's lease after 2024.

The loader has a licensed capacity of 25 million tonnes of coal per annum, and the group say it is an inappropriate location for such a high impact industry.

The PWCS recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of the loader, committing to a $60 million upgrade of the Carrington loader, much to the disappointment of the community group.

Tighes Hill Community Group Secretary Charlotte McCabe says the proximity of the loader to homes and families as well as the impact on their health is very unsafe.

"For many many years we have been raising concerns around the coal dust and the impacts we feel that's having on the health of people - particularly the children and the elderly living in the area - and obviously we've got concerns about climate change and we think this is an industry that needs to begin transitioning, and the end of this lease is the perfect time for that to happen."

The group say the anniversary is an excellent opportunity for port to show its commitment to a better, cleaner future for Newcastle, rather than an upgrade to the loader.

Dust Survey Results Released

Tighes Hill Community Group has released the preliminary findings of their survey on attitudes towards the coal industry.

The 'Coal Dust Free Streets' project aimed to find out resident's opinions on coal pollution, noise and the proposed fourth coal terminal.

The results show that 65% of residents are opposed to T4, over 70% support a curfew on train movements between 11am and 5am and over 85% believe covers should be implemented on waggons, stockpiles and loaders.

 

"This is a community that lives right on the door stop of the Carrington coal facility and they clearly think it's about time the industry cleans up it's act," said Zane Alcorn, from the Coal Terminal Action Group.

 

Mr Alcorn said modern coal terminal are entirely enclosed.

"Carrington is basically a dinosaur of the 1970s and there's a recent coal terminal in Western Australia and the stock piles and load facilities are completely enclosed. We know that technology is commercially available," he said.

Tighes Hill Community Group spokesperson, Charlotte McCabe agreed with Mr Alcorn.

"While in Newcastle we're still debating weather or not dust is a health issue for us here, in other parts of the world they've already worked out that it is very serious health concern and they've developed new technology for covering stock piles and train [waggons] and loaders," she said.

The Tighes Hill survey is a pilot for a wider survey early next year.

"We really hope we can see some good out comes from this survey," Ms McCabe said.