A LETTER FROM OUR VICE PREZ

14 September 2011

The Editor

Lithgow Mercury101 Main Street

LITHGOW NSW 2790

Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing to convey my sincere and heartfelt gratitude to the Lithgow Council for opposing the continuation and expansion of open cut coal mining by Coalpac in the Cullen Bullen district. (6 September 2011.)

That a company needs to resort to open cut mining in a State Forest to supply coal for domestic electricity production is proof that the greed driven mass exportation of coal by international mining companies is detrimental to our way of life. 

60% of the world’s coal production is by underground mining; in NSW this figure is a mere 36%. The rest is by open cut mining. (NSW Mineral Council data) This is also evidence of the neglect shown by the companies for flora and fauna, removal of oxygen producing plants (a double whammy for carbon emissions), water, agriculture, tourism as well as aesthetic appreciation of the unique Australian landscape. 

The biodiversity offset project by Coalpac is pathetic. Not only is it miniscule compared to the amount of carbon being unlocked by Coalpac, it can’t even begin to compete with the depletion of the forest in the areas being, and proposed to be, open cut. Deception?

A further sad note is that it was once a productive agricultural property now being used to grow a row of trees to mask the utter degradation of a unique State Forest.  Still that is better than the green shade cloth on the other side of the highway. More deception??

In the article, “Open cut is vital to their survival”, the authors only mention coal for the local power stations. Nowhere in the letter could I find any reference to the corporate objectives of Coalpac to:-

• Commence export production by FY2012
• Secure rail and port access for export and other markets

The above is from their own website. More deception and more greed!

I find it difficult to believe that Coalpac knew nothing of the underground fires in this area. I personally feel that Coalpac would or should also have known  and that a buyer beware clause was not included. Was their plan all along to cry woe and attempt to gain public sympathy for their “need” to now justify further open cut mining? More deception I feel.

The photo in the article is not reflective of the gravity of Coalpac’s requests for continued expansion of their open cut mining operations. To me they look more like the used car industry’s “Salesman of the year” nominees.  More deception??

Guy Sim

Vice President

Running Stream Water Users’ Association