NSW Office of Planning have contacted CCAG regarding proposed meetings in the area next week.
They are spending the day touring the proposed Shenhua site, the offsite areas and other projects in the region.

Media Release
North West Alliance
22nd May 2013

All candidates except Nationals candidate Adam Marshall have shown support for a moratorium on coal seam gas mining until more scientific research is conducted. Statements about these matters were made in response to questions put to all candidates by the North West Alliance.

“The questions asked candidates whether they supported a moratorium on unconventional gas development and new coal mines or expansions until rigorous scientific studies have been completed” said Bea Bleile, spokesperson for Armidale Action on Coal Seam Gas and Mining.

“Candidates were asked whether they will support a proper health impact assessment into proposed coal and gas exploration and mining in the local area and ‘no-go’ zones for mining in productive agricultural areas, important groundwater sources and high conservation value lands.

“The final question was ‘Will you publicly advocate for NSW and Federal Governments to implement … Read More »

Media Release
14 May 2013

A weekend meeting in Narrabri of the North West Alliance resulted in four new community groups joining up to help protect the region from coal seam gas and open cut coal mining. The growth comes amidst growing concern about the impacts of coal seam gas and coal on health, water resources, agriculture and bushland.

The meeting falling on Mother’s Day afternoon did not deter the enthusiastic attendees who celebrated the efforts of the many mothers who are part of the alliance.

“We were happy to spend our Mother’s Day afternoon working together to ensure our children have a bright and healthy future in the North West, where our water resources and lands are protected from damaging coal seam gas and open cut coal mine expansions,” said North West Alliance member and mother Carolyn Bishop.

“We are spurred on by the … Read More »

An independent environmental report has identified a litany of deficiencies, missing data, and failures to meet basic planning requirements in plans lodged by the Chinese mining giant Shenhua for a major coal mine on the Liverpool Plains.

The report, by the internationally respected consultants Earth Systems, has found there are such major gaps in baseline data on water quality and geochemistry that “…it is not possible to fully assess environmental impacts”.

It says not only does Shenhua’s 325-page EIS dedicate just a single page to its risk assessment which “appears to understate the likely impacts and risks” but has also uncovered the fact that Shenhua’s plans involve mining on the iconic floodplains – a clear breach of its exploration licence.

CCAG spokesman Tim Duddy said the Earth Systems review was damning of Shenhua’s approach to environmental protection and confirmed the community’s fears.

“From the … Read More »

The Gunnedah Basin Health Impact Steering Committee, constituted of community groups and organisations in the Gunnedah Basin, has been charged with commissioning a study of the health and welfare risks of mining and gas extraction in that basin.

The purpose of this proposed study is to analyse the health and welfare risks associated with various mining and gas extraction scenarios for the Gunnedah Basin, and to consider potential strategies for the avoidance, minimisation and management of these risks.

The study should:

Assess risks to physical, mental, social/community and environmental wellbeing, potentially reflecting scenarios aligned to Namoi Catchment Water Study, broadened to include development scenarios across the Gunnedah Basin.
Establish baseline levels of water quality, air quality and noise in the region, subject to defined benchmarks.
Identify cause and effect (or causal pathways) of a range of identified health and welfare issues.
Consider short, medium and long … Read More »

May 13, 2013 – 12:07AM
Sarah-Jane Collins
Sydney Morning Herald

A controversial mining proposal slated for prime agricultural land on the Liverpool Plains in northern NSW fails to meet basic environmental standards, an independent assessment of the project has found. A subsidiary of Chinese mining giant Shenhua, Shenhua Watermark Coal, is seeking environmental approval for its proposed Liverpool Plains coalmine and has filed an environmental impact statement as part of the process.

If they get this wrong they could poison two thirds of the Murray-Darling system. But farmers and agricultural groups paid for an independent review of Shenhua’s EIS and say the report exposes significant problems with the proposed mine. The report, by consulting group Earth Systems, found the mine would likely breach a prohibition on open-cut mining on the Liverpool Plains.

It also found that the mine’s risk assessment lacked detail, and there were … Read More »

By David Shearman on 1 May 2013
Renew Economy

A report released on April 24 by the Australian coal industry, Adding value to the Australian Economy, unsurprisingly documents only one side of the ledger. It is perhaps more surprising that this one-sided report has some academic imprimatur, when review of the international literature reveals a very different picture.

The complete picture shows coal is expensive. The cost of legacy coal assets may appear cheap to the consumer but the community pays the true cost in many other ways; this article details the health costs.

Coal mining and combustion have harmful impacts on land, water and air quality all of which can be costed. There is evidence from renowned economists that these costs, particularly those of air pollution, render the net value of the industry as neutral or negative.

A study on the true cost of … Read More »