In the Advocate of November 6 there was an advertisement showing the map for the proposed West Muswellbrook Coal Project.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This is early days yet for this project as it will have to go through a number of stages prior to approval.
This advertisement is the preliminary requirement prior to lodgement on or about December 6 of the application to obtain a Gateway Certificate.
If the certificate is approved then there are a number of other processes that have to be achieved prior to full approval of this open cut mine.
After studying the map it became apparent that agricultural and equine interests in and around the southern ends of Turanville, Nandowra (Back Muswell-brook Road) and Moobi Roads are likely to be impacted.
The roads were not named on the map but if you are familiar with the area it is clear where those roads are.
Impacts related to dust and water are of real concern together with the potential health impacts to those residents in and around Aberdeen.
Further, if Dartbrook open cut ever goes ahead (currently the project is stalled due to the mining downturn, but was scheduled for 2017 if viable) this will add to the cumulative impact.
Residents further up the valley are already impacted by fine coal dust coming from the mines in the south under windy conditions and this new proposal will exacerbate the situation.
The Upper Hunter Shire Council (UHSC) currently has a position statement on Coal and Coal Seam Gas which does not support open cut mining, however, they are reviewing that policy in light of the NSW Government’s Strategic Regional Land Use Plan and the declared Equine Critical Industry Clusters together with other recent developments.
Whilst it is acknowledged that Council is not the consent authority for the mine application, it is hoped that when submissions are due for this project that the UHSC will be strong in its determination to keep open cut mining out of the shire and protect our important agriculture and equine industries, and the health of residents.
There are times where coexistence of other industries with mining will not work and this is one of those times.
The West Muswellbrook Coal Project is another case of a mine in the wrong place.