Following their meeting with the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Water Resources and Conservation in Orange last month, the Running Stream Water Users’ Association will be taking Federal Member Mark Coulton on a guided tour of the Running Stream/Mt Vincent area tomorrow.
Mr Coulton accepted an invitation to see for his own eyes what a magnificent natural asset this area is and to listen to the concerns of residents about proposed coal mining.
At 1pm Friday 11th June a general meeting will be held in the Running Stream Hall where Mr Coulton will address the public and introduce the National Party candidate for Hunter, Michael Johnsen.
Interestingly, the Commonwealth Electoral Divisions of Parkes, Hunter and Calare all now converge around this geographically significant area, making it a flashpoint for political issues such as mining.
The weather forecast looks promising for Committee members to show Mr Coulton and Mr Johnsen the sweeping panoramas afforded from the top of Mt Vincent. This spectacular landscape on the Great Dividing Range is currently under threat from mining, as is the unique aquifer system on which locals have relied for generations.
Coal mining may offer short term financial gains but the legacy of such industry is the loss and contamination of precious water resources, negative health issues and loss of long term sustainable livelihoods.
As Secretary for the Running Stream Water Users’ Association Jolieske Lips remarked; “We don’t want to be another Hunter Valley!”.
1 comment:
Trust there will be media release(s) to Mudgee Guardian et al after the meeting (and also posted to blog).
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