11 December, 2012
Planning Commission hears evidence on the environmental, social and economic risks associated with Cobbora coal mine
The Nature Conservation Council of NSW today appeared before the NSW Planning Assessment Commission in Dunedoo to argue that approval for the proposed Cobbora coal mine should be refused on environmental, social and economic grounds.
NCC spokesman James Tremain said that the mine would destroy nearly 2,000 hectares of native woodland, place several endangered species at risk of local extinction, permanently damage aquifers, cost taxpayers more than $1 billion in subsidies, and distort local economies.
“This massive state-owned coal mine is a serious liability for New South Wales,” Mr Tremain said. “It’s bad for the environment, bad for taxpayers and bad for the long-term viability of local economies.
“The environmental assessment process for this mining proposal has been deeply flawed. The process has been rushed and a large amount of additional information is required before an informed determination can be made.
“The NCC is not the only body concerned about the adequacy of the assessment process for this project.
“The Environment Protection Authority, the Office of Environment and Heritage, the federal environment department, NSW Health, the Central West Catchment Management Authority and several local councils have all flagged serious concerns about the environmental assessment reports submitted by the mining company.
“It’s extraordinary that Cobbora Holding Company, a company owned entirely by the NSW Government, has failed to meet basic environmental assessment standards in this way.”
If approved, the Cobbora mine would lead to the destruction of large areas of woodland and very likely drive several species to extinction in the local area, including the Glossy Black Cockatoo, Barking Owl, Masked Owl, Powerful Owl and Freshwater Catfish.
“Local extinctions are simply signposts along the road to total extinction and should not be tolerated for the short-term gain of a few powerful interests,” he said.
“Nor should we blithely accept a massive increase in the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. The dirty, low-grade coal that this mine plans to produce for power generation would contribute significantly to the state’s greenhouse gas emissions at time when the science indicates global warming is gathering pace and exceeding even the more pessimistic predictions of only a few years ago.”
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Coal and gas
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