3 April, 2014
Coalpac proposal to mine in the Gardens of Stone is back from the dead
Environment groups are outraged that a company under administration has lodged an application to restart and expand a coal mine in the Gardens of Stone near Lithgow that is very similar to a project that has been rejected already by state planning bodies.
Today Coalpac Pty Ltd has placed on public exhibition a development application under the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act to mine 315 hectares of the Ben Bullen State Forest, next to the township of Cullen Bullen.
The project is the latest version of a proposal to mine the beautiful pagoda country that the Department of Planning and Infrastructure and Planning Assessment Commission have rejected because unacceptable environmental impacts.
“Proposals to expand existing mining operations in this area have already been rejected by the government agencies following a strong grassroots campaign,” Nature Conservation Council of NSW CEO Pepe Clarke said.
“It is very disappointing that Coalpac has been permitted to submit new plans to destroy a significant area in the Gardens of Stone region, an area that the Office of Environment and Heritage has recommended should be protected in a conservation reserve.
“The planning system in NSW should provide certainty to the community, but this latest twist in Coalpac tale serves only to undermine public confidence that the government is putting the interests of the environment and the wider community ahead of the powerful mining industry.”
Mr Keith Muir, director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness, warned that mining companies had a history of lodging applications for small projects that they expand through a series of modifications.
“We fear that this is exactly what will happen in this case if this ill-conceived project is approved,” Mr Muir said. “Mining the Ben Bullen State Forest should not be allowed to progress in stages, when the overall scheme was found to be inappropriate only last year.
“The new proposal is only to get the project rolling, and has nothing to do with funding rehabilitation as the company has claimed.”
Ms Tara Cameron, Senior Vice President of the Blue Mountains Conservation Society, said: “Coalpac argues that the mine is needed to pay for environmental rehabilitation of new and historical damage. This reveals that Coalpac has not rehabilitated land as required by previous mine approvals. How can this company be trusted?
“This new plan will exterminate all plants and wildlife within the open-cut area. This habitat is home to lyrebirds, spotted-tail quolls, squirrel gliders, the critically endangered leek orchid and the grey-headed flying fox. The Ben Bullen State Forest is a precious pagoda wonderland that must be reserved.”
Chris Jonkers, Vice President of the Lithgow Environment Group said: “Coalpac claims that, unlike its earlier proposal, this mine will not have a significant impact on threatened species and communities listed under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
“The company makes this claim even though the mine area overlaps and lies within the previous open-cut plan.
“The endangered persoonia marginata has been found within the area but was not identified in Coalpac’s reports. The reliability of mapping done by Coalpac’s consultants has recently been questioned and reported by Radio National’s Background Briefing program, The trouble with offsets, aired March 16.”
Media contacts
Nature Conservation Council – Media Officer James Tremain, 0419 272 254.
Colong Foundation for Wilderness - Director Keith Muir, 0412 791 404.
Blue Mountains Conservation Society - Senior Vice President Tara Cameron, 0419 824 974.
Lithgow Environment Group - Vice President Chris Jonkers 6355 1179.
Tags
Coal and gas
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