Bylong Valley gets the all clear for new open cut mine

BY DANIELLE RIES

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".

Sign against mining in the Bylong Valley
Credit- The Land

Joint Venture Between Glencore and Peabody Proposed near Singleton

BY GARY-JON LYSAGHT AND ARIANA GATTI

The proposal for a new open-cut mine around the Singleton and Hunter Valley around has caused a fluster with environmental activist group, Lock the Gate Alliance.

The much debated benefit of the proposed Wambo-United coal mine, a joint venture between Glencore and Peabody, includes the removal of more than 200 hectares of land in preparation to be mined.

The mine's proposed boundaries

The mine is said to open up at least 250 jobs, as well as keep the Wambo open-cut mine running far beyond the current closing date of 2020.

Lock the Gate Alliance is accusing Glencore Mining of using an un-known and unpublished biodiversity document in order to push the approval for the mine ahead faster.

Lock the Gate Alliance NSW Coordinator Georgina Woods says keeping the documents secret shows fowl play between the mine and the Government.

"The public is being kept in the dark while the mining industry is at the table, stitching up a plan with the Government to get approval for this mine regardless of the cost that it's going to place on our wildlife and our vanishing forest," she said

There is no definite answer on whether the new open-cut mine will be going ahead.

For Woods, the idea of losing more bushland proves the State Government has failed to protect the local environment.

"This new mine is the epitome of NSW's failed planning and mining laws," she says.

"They're going to allow a nationally unique bushland to be destroyed.  They're going to push the central Hunter Valley forest to the brink of local extinction. It occurs no where but in this region.

"So much has already been lost to coal mines and we simply can't afford to keep pushing over this critically endangered woodland any longer."

[Image Source: The Newcastle Herald].

Bulga Road protest against Warkworth coal mine

BY JARROD MELMETH

Bulga residents are hopeful of a strong show of public support for their daily protest vigil at the Warkworth coal mine.

Residents have been protesting daily next to Rio Tinto's coal mine, which has approval from the NSW Government to expand towards the town, through a bush land area of high importance to the Wonnarua Aboriginal people, and through the convict-built Wallaby Scrub Road.

The expansion was approved by the NSW Government last November following a campaign by local residents against the project that lasted six years.

Bulga Resident Rob McLaughlin says the way the community has been treated by Rio Tinto and the NSW Government is disgusting.

"Two courts have forensically examined the application of Rio Tinto and said the project should not proceed."

"We are here today to stand up and say this should not be happening. This expansion of the mine will see the decimation of our historic town"

The mine has seen two court cases against its approval. The government has since re-approved the mine, and removed local residents' right to challenge the merits of that decision in court.

Bulga Residents Heated Over Proposed Mine Expansions

BY BRIDGET GUNN

Two Wonnarua Aboriginal elders have been arrested in a peaceful roadside protest in Bulga.

The protest was against the proposed expansion of the coal mine in Bulga, which would destroy many sites of Aboriginal and European cultural heritage, and would have a large impact on the residents of Bulga.

Source: ABC News

Rob McLaughlin from Bulga says the proposed expansion would destroy the endangered woodland and the Wallaby Scrub Road, part of the Great North Road.

"They are going to destroy a world unique, critically endangered Warkworth Sands Woodland, along with the Wallaby Scrub Road, which is part of the Great North Road, built back in the 1820's."

According to McLaughlin, the residents of Bulga are not going down without a fight.

"Rio Tinto don't know whats hit them," he says.

"The people of Bulga are firm in our resolve, we will be there every day. It is part of our European history and we are not giving up.

"If they need to get the police out every day, they will have to."

Wackworth mine pit aerial
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

The Lock the Gate Alliance Inc Facebook page has received a huge amount of support,with over 60,000 responses.

McLaughlin believes that this is because the public is realising the full national scope of the governments control in issues such as that in Bulga.

"It's not just about this little tiny place called Bulga, it's a bigger question. It's about peoples rights in New South Wales to protect their environment and their homes."

For more information see https://www.facebook.com/Lock.The.Gate.Alliance/