EPBC REFERRAL – MT PENNY

The BVPA Needs You! (Or, at least, your emailing ability!) - Mt Penny EPBC Referral

In my last update I advised that – because it will affect critically endangered habitats, along with endangered, threatened and vulnerable animal and plant species – the Mt Penny development needs to be referred to the Federal Environment Minister, Tony Burke.

We are asking that you:

a)      Write to Minister Burke (details below) raising your concerns regarding the proposed development, and
b)      SPREAD THE WORD to any friends, contacts, email lists that you belong to, so that they can also make a submission

PLEASE MAKE YOUR SUBMISSION BY THIS COMING FRIDAY – 15th JULY, 2011

It doesn’t matter if your submission is long or short, detailed or just saying “please don’t approve this development” – EVERY SINGLE INPUT counts. PLEASE make the time to send at least SOMETHING.


·         Source Documentation

For those who like the detail, the full documentation regarding the referral can be found at:

http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/epbc/epbc_ap.pl?name=current_referral_detail&proposal_id=6026

The key referral document is:

http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/epbc/epbc_ap.pl?name=show_document;document_id=44843;proposal_id=6026

The main information regarding threatened habitats and species starts on p18.


·         Reference Number and Address for Submissions

Your submission must identify the project by quoting its reference number and referral title:

Ref No: 2011/6026
Title:  Mt Penny Coal Pty Ltd/Mining/3km north-west of Bylong/NSW/Mt Penny Coal Project

Address to:
Referral Business Entry Point, EIA Policy Section (EPBC Act)
Approvals and Wildlife Division
Department of the Environment

Send to:
Email: epbc.referrals@environment.gov.au
Fax: 02 6274 1789
Post: GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
Provide your contact details clearly

·         Some Suggested Bullet Points
Here are some key points you might like to include:
o   The Minister for Environment should not approve the Mt Penny coal proposal because it will have significant impact on matters of national environmental significance.
o   In particular:

§  Over 300ha of the critically endangered White Box-Yellow Box-Blakely's Red Gum Grassy

§  Woodland and Derived Native Grassland ecological community will be cleared

§  5 endangered Regent Honeyeaters were recorded on the site

§  An endangered Spotted-tailed Quoll was recorded on the site

§  A new sub-population of the vulnerable Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby was recorded in the area

§  Habitat of the vulnerable Large-eared Pied Bat and South-eastern Long-eared bat will be destroyed

§   8,800 specimens of the vulnerable shrub Ozothamnus tesselatus will be cleared

§  The open cut mine will directly impact 1454.54ha affecting surface water and groundwater systems

If you have any questions or would like any clarification on anything, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Again, EVERY SINGLE INPUT counts.
Thanks in advance for your help…


CRAIG
- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Craig Shaw
Interim Secretary
Bylong Valley Protection Alliance

Phone:
  (0411) 101988

Email:
  bylongmining@craigshaw.com.au

Websites:
  www.bvpa.org.au