... and it's not because they like the local drop.
Many landowners in the area are devastated by the recent news that Centennial Coal has purchased the Mt. Ilford winery with an eye to gouging it up for dirty coal. But there is still a long way to go before any coal mining happens in this beautiful landscape, if at all. There are many Environmental Impact Studies to be carried out and there are a lot of people who have vowed to fight for what they know are basic human rights - clean air, clean water and a place they can call home - things that don't sit comfortably with coal mining.
Some people will be feeling overwhelmed by the onslaught of Centennial's current exploration process and this is only natural. Professor Glenn Albrecht has identified a syndrome emerging in the Hunter Valley which he calls 'solastalgia' - homesickness while still at home. It's experienced by people whose solace in their home environment is no longer afforded to them in the extremely well-funded face of Big Carbon. But some things can't be bought and our way of life in this spectacular area is one of them.
From little things big things grow. This is a moral issue. We are the custodians of this land, holding it in trust for future generations. It is our duty to pass it on in good nick. We also have a sacred duty to all other living species. In Genesis Chapter 9, God says to Noah; "Keep them alive with thee". The creatures of this land don't have a voice but we do.
Don't despair. Get active. Write to your representatives and tell them to wise up. Water is more precious than coal!
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