Newsletter
Latest CCAG Newsletter here. NEW: - view Liverpool Plains mining Madness video.
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Champion Crops from the Liverpool Plains - again |
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Friday, 15 January 2010 18:36 |
Meg and Colin Campbell of "Rockgedgiel", Bundella were awarded first place in the NSW 2009 Dryland Wheat Competition with a wheat yield of 5.95 tonnes to the hectare and Julie & Michael Prowse of Gwendalan, "Blackville" first place in the durum wheat section.
The competition organisers acknowledged that most of the wheat champions had been from Liverpool Plains over the years, underlining the area's tremendous, sustained fertility even without the support of irrigation. Commenting on the area, the government agronomist and competition Judge, Paul Parker, said "anybody who would want to dig this country up for mining needs to have their heads read".
CCAG extends its congratulations to the winners and like many in the country and city, agrees wholeheartedly with Mr Parker's sentiments!
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Coal Health Costs Confirmed |
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Sunday, 13 December 2009 13:11 |
New research out of the United States confirms that coal cost one heavily coal mining reliant US State $115 million dollars more in services and programs each year than it contributes in terms of taxes and employment.
The latest report of the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts Coal Health Compensation Scheme in the UK shows that the cost of compensation to ex-miners for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other debilitating diseases will be in excess of 4.1 BILLION pounds. Despite evidence to the contrary, the Department responsible underestimated the number of cases, and hence the cost to tax payers, by more than 300%.
The data is coming in thick and fast now as to how much this dirty industry COSTS every country it is in and how long the health and social costs continue after mining stops. We can only presume our new 'economy conscious' Premier, recently spruiking a possible return to coal-fired power stations, can not yet have been made aware of the COSTS to NSW residents' health, and the State of such an economically-damaging decision. |
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Dr van Steenis Dishes the Dirt on Dust! |
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Tuesday, 08 December 2009 11:31 |
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 As expected, this international Coal Pollution Expert's visit to Caroona did not disappoint.
Dr van Steenis calmly explained the threat to health caused by small particle dusts generated by coal mining, processing, transport and coal-fired power plants. It's a real, demonstrable threat to our community's health backed by an increasing number of peer-reviewed studies and the health statistics coming out of The Hunter. The danger particles are those smaller than 2.5 microns of which the mining process produces billions. These tiny particles get into the lungs and with repeated exposure lead to chronic lung disease and lung cancer. We now know why chronic lung problems (eg. chronic pulmonary obstructive disease COPD) are endemic in the Hunter Valley. The science shows that babies and children are affected the most and we know that the NSW government has only just started to collect the data on this particle size, preferring in the past, despite the mounting evidence, to concentrate on the less-hazardous 10 micron sizes. Armed with the facts, the science and the indisputable evidence that coal costs our community, it is clear that health resources can never meet the growing casualties of coal-based pollution, no matter how much money is poured by these polluting businesses into healthcare. Lung problems are just the tip of the dirty coal-health iceberg that Dr van Steenis revealed. Coal production adds to NSW revenue - but now the spotlight will be focused on how much it COSTS too. Stayed tuned....... |
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International Pollution Expert visits Caroona to Warn of Coal Health Impacts |
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Friday, 04 December 2009 19:22 |
 Hear him speak: Monday 7th December at 7.00pm Caroona Hall, all welcome.
One of the world’s leading experts in the health impacts of industrial pollution, Dr Dick van Steenis, is visiting Caroona to highlight the harmful impacts that coal-related industries have been shown to have on human and animal health.
Dr van Steenis, who studied pollution science at Harvard and authored the UK Coal Health Study, has been researching the causes of death and chronic disease from dusts generated by coal mines, power stations and incinerators for over 15 years.
His ground-breaking research on coal mining in Wales in the early 1990s found that the rate of asthma puffer use in children was directly proportional to how close they lived to a coal mine.
SOS Liverpool Plains invites you hear this medical doctor and scientist give the FULL story of how coal mining causes health impacts on young and old. [Full press release] |
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NO GAS in Murray Darling Basin Water |
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Sunday, 29 November 2009 17:10 |
A new report into the CSG fields of the Surat Basin in QLD shows that CSG-associated water removal can lower water levels in adjacent aquifers depleting supplies to other users; increase inter-aquifer transfer of groundwater as the coal measures are depressurised and impact surface water unless strict management controls are imposed. No surprises there!
Importantly, it also states "Inclusion of the impacts of other neighbouring CSG producers should be done to quantify the cumulative impacts on the system" which is precisely what a catchment-wide water study will ensure here rather than the current, environmentally-catastrophic project-by-project assessments. They've suggested it but will the QLD government listen?
The Warrah Creek area will be having one of its Upper Mooki Landcare meetings on Thursday 3rd December at the Warrah Creek Hall at 5.30pm. Particular attention will be paid to the threat to agricultural water supplies from gas mining (including current exploration activities) at that meeting. All welcome. |
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Senate Enquiry into Food Production Reports |
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Sunday, 29 November 2009 11:45 |
After 153 submissions and numerous public hearings across the country, Chairman of the Senate Food Production Enquiry, Senator Bill Heffernan, tabled three interim reports from this Enquiry today. The second report discusses concerns raised in relation to proposed coal and gas exploration and mining/drilling on the Liverpool Plains area of NSW and the potential for these developments to adversely impact on agricultural activities in the area.
 In a balanced and perceptive review of all the submissions, the committee stated it "believes that prime agricultural land needs to be protected from mining developments." Further, "preservation of these productive lands and finite water systems is clearly of national significance."
The committee makes the following recommendation: "..that the NSW Government investigate the total prohibition of mining under the floodplains of the Liverpool Plains and other areas of the state where similar conditions prevail, especially where evidence indicates that there will be damage to the floodplain or aquifers and the agricultural productive capacity of the floodplain in question."
We would like to thank all the Senators involved in this Enquiry for their support in maintaining our highly productive food bowl for the future of all Australians. |
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Just Transition Tour visits Blockade |
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Friday, 27 November 2009 21:23 |
A busload of 25 enthusiastic and articulate young people converged on The Blockade on Saturday evening after visiting a series of coal-affected communities throughout The Hunter and Gloucester regions. The stalwart Clift and Duddy families were there to greet them and to explain why this community had no choice but to take direct action. On their way to State and Federal Parliaments, these informed campaigners for green jobs saw for themselves the devastation visited upon communities, water resources and previously prime agricultural land by this polluting industry. 
We are grateful for their support and wish them well in raising awareness of how renewable energy solutions can save jobs, enhance the Australian economy and do away with dirty, filthy never-will-be-clean coal. See here for a blog following their visit. |
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Page 5 of 18 |
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Mine Field
3rd Sept Water Study process 20th June Court ruling released 1st June Local Council promotes mining 20st May Land Access Bill passed. 1st April BHP to appeal ruling. No joke! 24th Mar Blockade lifted. Thank you letter to all participants. 18th Mar Coalition says it intends to protect MDB floodplains and support Tony Windsor's Amendment to the Water Act.
10th Mar NSW Mining Council 'sky is falling' after CCAG court win. CCAG responds.
2nd Mar Coal V's Ag in Hunter Valley - mp3 audio debate here. 15th Feb CCAG in Mudgee visit - more water under threat. 3rd Feb Sir Lunchalot finally to visit Caroona in March. Expects silver service.....Details TBA. 14th Jan BHP seeking legal costs reimbursement after judgement handdown 6th Jan Court judgment on mining licence validity, ABC, SMH. 10th Dec Dr Van Stennis talks on coal particle pollution. 25th Nov Study consultants appointed. 24th Nov RiversSOS in landmark case with Planning to protect NSW water supplies 8th Nov Taste of the Plains @ Caroona 29th Oct Water study funding failure confirmed. 17th Oct Water study funding crisis? 1st Oct. Alan Jones talks to CCAG's spokesman Tim Duddy. 28th Sept Gunnedah- Senate hearings 18th Sept. Senate Enquiry into Food Production in Australia transcript.
17th Sept. Shenhua to snub Senate? 20th August. Senate enquiry calls for submissions 4th August. Local miner fined in court.
CCAG commences court actions. 20th July. ABC 4 Corners - 'The Good Earth' & CCAG celebrates community blockade 1st anniversary. 16th July. Gunnedah Mining Warden again favours BHP in latest case. July. Crikey Report: CSIRO scientists spruiking for the coal industry?. Seen at the blockade last week, Senators Joyce and Williams, MP Mark Coulton and various media crews. 24th June. Access arrangements decision to be taken to the Court of Appeal, with continuing AFFF support. 17th June. Senator questions Wong about exploration pollution.
Nationals put motion in Senate supporting prime agricultural land. Read a personal analysis of this motion here. 4th June. NSW Greens new bill to safeguard Prime Ag Land and Water to be debated. Read all about it and CCAG in Namoi Valley Independent coverage here and here. 28th May. Farmers and supporters considering further legal options. Macdonald 'conflicted' - Gunnedah Basin community appeals to Premier Rees. ABC report here21st May. Mining Warden decision , as revealed to a packed Gunnedah Courthouse. 20th May. Senators visit Blockade and later hear submissions in Gunnedah.18th May. Read CCAG's comments on the Water Study recommendations now under review by Minister MacDonald.
13th May. 'Landholders Dispute Information' in Quirindi Advocate. More of serial polluter BHP's poor practice revealed.
28th April. Final submissions were heard at the Gunnedah Mining Warden Court. Fifty CCAG supporters were in attendance. A decision is expected before end of May.
Gunnedah Mining Warden Court: transcripts of each day are available here Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5
Farmer takes fight to miner - SMH
 In maybe the final Mining Warden court hearings before being superseded by Land and Environment court, in Gunnedah earlier in April, BHP and their legal representatives confronted landholders, for access to their land .Santos has ramped up its seismic testing and its PR, inviting selected locals on a 'no photography' tour of its drilling rig at Caroona.
The State Government commissioned consulting firm 'road tested' proposed water study Terms of Reference in meetings mid March in Tamworth, Gunnedah and Narrabri.
The document was enthusiastically critiqued by community participants for its lack of balance, its time and new data collection constraints, its avoidance of risk management and its ultimate irrelevance to Government policy.
In the NSW parliament Minister MacDonald responded robustly to recent events.
Where was the Blockade?
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