16 December, 2014
Planning Assessment Commission T4 decision highlights flaws in the planning system
The Planning Assessment Commission’s recommended approval of the T4 coal loader is another instance of the commission putting the interests of the big coal ahead of the environment, communities, and public health.
“It is disappointing the PAC has dismissed the legitimate concerns of the Newcastle community about the effects this development will have on people’s health and the ecosystems of the estuary,” Nature Conservation Council CEO Kate Smolksi said.
“It is encouraging, however, that the commission has recommended limiting the approval period to five years, and required environmental offsets and the remediation of contaminated areas to be completed well before final approval is granted.
“Too often, environmental offsets promised by developers are never delivered, and when delivered they often fail to provide the environmental dividends that were promised.
“By adding these conditions, the PAC has at least acknowledged that T4 will have significant impacts on the internationally important wetlands, impacts that will be very difficult, if not impossible, to mitigate.
“The commissioners should have applied the same prudence when considering the wider impact of T4. At full capacity, the coal loader will export of 70 million tonnes of dirty polluting coal every year, which when burned will add about 174 million tones carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
“That is a massive volume of pollution, equivalent to about 30 per cent of Australia’s total annual GHG emissions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
“It would be morally reprehensible to allow such a development when evidence of the climate change emergency being faced by humanity mounts every day.”
Ms Smolski said NCC would continue to work with the local community to explore every avenue to ensure that the T4 coal loader is not built.
Tags
Coal and gas
Let others know about this issue