AGM 2012 Report

Updated 28/03/2013


Corner Gorge Goulburn River

....STOP PRESS ....

Exploration Drilling Program planned by Moolarben Coal
for above THE DRIP
as close as 350 & 550 m
to north of this river gorge !!!!
watch this space.....
also
Moolarben Coal Operations (Yancoal) recently
received EPA fine for water discharge off mine site
during MAY 2012

The Drip under is
under Threat

Proposed power line easement
( heading towards a new sub-station at the junction of Ulan-Wollar roads).
This would involved a cleared pathway
60 m wide through high conservation value remnant native vegetation, across the Goulburn River and creeks to the
west of the The Drip.
There needs to be a clear and strong message to the power company Epuron objecting to this proposed easement.
A more suitable path would be through already degraded mined land.
The route of the proposed power line is unacceptable. It must be more sensitively sited to avoid valuable native vegetation around high conservation areas such as The Drip, Goulburn River and other forested areas.
 
The Upper Hunter can not afford to see the clearing of yet more valued native forest on top of the devastation from coal mining. Once such a corridor is established it would facilitate expansion of mining to the north of The Drip.
 
Have your say - demand no clearing occurs around the remnant forest that surrounds the Drip and Goulburn River.
Download Epuron Newsletter on Project

RENEWABLE ENERGY OPTIONS for
Mid Western Region
Link to Notes:

Solar Thermal Power Plant - Beryl
Slides , Notes

Stage 2 MCO is still being assessed by Department Planning.
Watch.......PRIME7 NEWS on The Drip

Moolarben Coal Operations
(Yancoal Pty Ltd) was fined in the Land and Environment Court for a number of pollution events of the Goulburn River in 2009 & 2010 . The Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW) provided evidence that extensive clearing and earthworks on the site of the Moolarben coal project did not have adequate sediment and erosion controls as required under their Conditions of Approval.

Moolarben Coal Mine Stage 2
Provides
NO immediate protection to
The Drip and Corner Gorges.

This regional icon on Goulburn River are part of a visually dramatic and culturally significant landscape - inspirational to many people including the Australian artist
Brett Whitely. See interview with filmmaker Peter Kingston on the mural

This iconic place is priceless and should be granted maximum protection from mining
under the Goulburn River National Park

Legal precedent:
Ulan Coal Mines required to offset greenhouse pollution

The NSW Land and Environment Court will set a national precedent by requiring the Xstrata-owned Ulan coal mine to offset its greenhouse gas emissions as a condition of approval for expansion.

'In principle' approval has been granted by the Court to the Ulan mine expansion subject to a number of more stringent environmental conditions, including that it offsets greenhouse emissions related to the production and transport of its coal (scope 1 and 2 emissions).

The Ulan mine expansion will need to offset 23.5 million tonnes of greenhouse emissions each year, increasing NSW’s contribution to global emissions by 0.8% per year.

Legal action against the Ulan coal mine expansion was brought by the NSW Environmental Defender’s Office on behalf of NCC member group the Hunter Environment Lobby.

Read the full determination here:

Map of area showing Drip & Corner Gorge proposed National Park extension

"It is hard to believe that the massive and awe-inspiring rock formations, which form the Drip and Corner Gorges, have not been deemed significantly important to be included in the Goulburn River National Park; it is an oversight of monumental proportions – both literally and figuratively - if only that it fails to compensate the public for the enormous damage caused by mining and the noise to neighbouring properties.
However it is a much bigger issue that mere compensation to keep people happy; these rock formations belong to all who walk this planet, both now and always, and not to any mining company or any other private enterprise. They must remain part of the national estate, not only for all to enjoy but also, for the fundamental reason of protecting as much of the planet as possible. To that end, the very least this generation can do is to be good custodians of as much of the land as possible; to preserve and protect it. These majestic rock formations must, at the very least, be included in the Goulburn River National Park. This is a moral obligation we all share." M. Hope Submission 2012
At any stage this coal mine can legally STOP ALL PUBLIC ACCESS.
It is essential that this area is permanently protected from damage by mining and safeguarded for future generations as a source of inspiration, recreation and learning.

 



We don’t need, and cannot sustain, five more mines in this region!
 info@mudgeeminingthewholestory.org.au

MudgeeminingtheWholestory.org.au


 Lue Action Group formed to oppose
Kingsgate Silver Mine

"Impacts from the proposed mine on the Lue district will be life changing and irreversible".

Open-pit 1km wide x 300m deep
Only 1.5 kms from the Lue village
24hour/7 day operation
blasting 6 days per week

http://www.lueactiongroup.org/

The beautiful
Bylong Valley
is
under threat from
coal mining

Bylong Valley Protection Alliance21 Jan 11 | Mid-Western Regional Council has called for a moratorium on new exploration and mining in the Bylong Valley and a study into the effects of mining across the region Moolarben Coal Mine in court over river pollutionBy 2012 the mines in just the Ulan Wollar area are planning to extract over 40 million tonnes per year of coal .
This amount of fossil carbon fuel will
produce over 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gases
exceeding the total emissions from the whole transport system for Australia
(79 Million tonnes CO2-e - ABS 2004 )
FAST FACTS

Map of Ulan-Wollar
showing the extent of the
mining area
The open cut footprint
from these mines
is equvilent to a
1km wide X 52 kms long
pit dug from
Mudgee to the
Goulburn River
BRETT WHITELY MURAL rediscovered
near The DRIP GORGE .
The ABC article wrongly states the mural is in National Park ! It is covered by a EL mining lease. Saga of Nude Brett Whitely Mural SMH Article
Links to other areas of the State also affected by Coal Mining .............. RiverSOS
Caroona Coal Action Group
Caroona, Liverpool Plains
Anvil Hill Alliance,
Wybong, Upper Hunter
Wyong Aust Gas Alliance
Wyong Valley
Bickham, Pages River
Upper HunterBARRINGTON-GLOUCESTER-STROUD Preservation Alliance also see
Rising Tide Website
Hunter Environment Lobby
Hunter Community Environment Centre
EFFECTS OF MINING
Water
Loss of Biodiversity
Social Impacts
Land degradation
Global Warming.... 
Mudgee District Environment Group
Enquiries about this webpage
Email Webmaster Chairperson
Di O'Mara
PO Box 114 Mudgee NSW 2850Contact:
Bev Smiles
bevsmiles@bigpond.com
0263734330
0428817282.
Monthly Meetings
4th Thursday/month

........stop the
Coal industry from destroying our groundwater and rivers...
Why?
Mining threatens many catchments:

Follow the following links for more information
on mining impacts:
Waratah Riverlet, Nepean & Cataract Rivers - Sydney Water catchment
Wyong Valley - Australian Coal Alliance
Caroona - Liverpool Plains
Mammy's Creek - Gloucester
Pages River - Bickham Upper Hunter
BimbleBox Wildlife Refuge - Desert Uplands Qld.
Goulburn River Gorges - Upper Hunter Valley
It also destroys the biodiversity
and natural heritage;
fracture local communities
and fuels climate change...
.................................................