BY: GARY-JON LYSAGHT
The tiny Hunter town of Bulga has been fighting a David and Goliath battle with Rio Tinto and its Warkworth mine expansion for years.
The tiny Hunter town of Bulga has been fighting a David and Goliath battle with Rio Tinto and its Warkworth mine expansion for years.
The passionate residents have taken the fight with Rio Tinto
to the courts twice, and they’ve won twice.
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| Demonstrators will ride on horseback along Wallaby Scrub Road |
The stretch of road was built by the early convicts and has
been a heritage listed site for years, but will soon be victim to the mine’s
expansion.
In response, 40 members of Bulga will ride by horseback
along the road on Saturday in a demonstration against the expansion.
Riders will carry with them a petition to save the road and
keep it open, which will then be presented to the Baird Government.
Bulga local Rob McLaughlin is the event organiser and says
the road is still used and very important.
“Wallaby Scrub is a much used public road and an essential
piece of local infrastructure that must be kept open,” he said.
The demonstration is meant to imitate the early pioneers, as
they ride on horseback from Warkworth town through to Broke.
For Rob McLaughlin, the ride is another part of the long
battle to save his town.
"The deed of agreement signed back in 2003 between Rio Tinto
and the State Government then [said] this area that is now under threat would
be left in perpetuity as a buffer zone between the mine and Bulga" he said.
“Now that ministerial deed of agreement was not worth the
paper it was written on.”
McLaughlin has said the fight between Bulga and Rio Tinto
has taken its toll on residents.
“Been nearly seven years [since their Supreme Court win] and
the locals here are absolutely worn out from it,” he said.
The convoy will depart Warkworth Oval at 10am and will ride
along Wallaby Scrub Road, before finishing at Macnamara Park in Broke at about
2pm.
[Image Source: OzRoads].
