Caroona Coal Action Group

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Media Snippets

the North West NSW Great Coal & Gas Rush
OZ -Chinese pay top $ for farms
ABC- Selling the farm
SMH - Mine air pollution
SMH - Gas delayed. New EIS.
Local coal mine set to expand.
Don't like Super tax? Sell mines!
Landline - Qld CSG 9/5/10
ABC Stateline - criticism of Mining Land Bill amendment
ABC -Mine Bill 'lawyers feast'
SMH. 'Coal cold comfort' 17/3/10
SBS TV food series reviews our local food issues
Mining Council complains - ABC audio
Officials gagged over mine - SMH
Gas issues in Qld - SMH
Hope Town - ABC report on BHP exiting mine boom town.
Adams on coal mining.
Shenhua mine plan proceeding
ABC TV feature Liverpool Plains again
New GetUp anti coal TV ad.
Qld Farmers update Senate Food Enquiry.
Mining threat not over.
BHP studying proposed large Caroona underground mine
Mining Conference: Mining better than Ag, less damaging claim.
State Government knew about Power Station arsenic pollution for 2 years, did nix..
Macdonald: Plains to be mined.
Water study timetable?. Meeting.
Shenhua FIRB ruling washup.
SMH 23rd July mining editorial
Media reports on July NSW Parliamentary demonstration:
SMH, Fin Review, Tamworth Leader, ABC radio & news. Draper. PrimeTV
Macdonald: "Mining more important than farming"
SMH - Toxic waste in town water. GPs concerned.
SMH story 30th May on our coal & gas issues,with followup support letter.
Santos to resume seismic testing -ABC
Hidden costs of fossil-fuel power - SMH
Guy Pearse -Quarterly Essay "Quarry Vision"
Crikeys take on Big Coal V's Science
Gov'ment dirty coal failure - SMH
Mining investment to be slashed -SMH
CCAG supports Gloucester struggle.
Gloucester residents mining rally.
World Water bankruptcy: Davos Report -SMH
PR spin- How miners hides bad news
Big coal mine labour sackings -Courier Mail
Nats choose miners over food producers
Greens support Windsor's water study Senate amendment
Mines and Communities: BHP Billiton accused of half-truths and evasions.
Daily Telegraph report on childrens toxic drinking water
adverse effects of mining - a Qld perspective
The Herald reports on coal mines plans to dump mine water into river

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CCAG welcomes split of Mining & Agriculture Portfolios

Monday, 16 November 2009 14:38

New Ministers bring new hope of protecting iconic Liverpool Plains.

The newly appointed Mineral Resources and Agriculture ministers, Peter Primrose MLC and Tony Kelly MLC, have been invited to visit the Liverpool Plains and immediately begin work on repairing the damage done by the issuing of mining licences across some of the finest farmland in Australia.

The invitations from CCAG came as the action group also congratulated the Rees Government for finally separating the vital portfolios of Primary Industries and Mineral Resources which were so clearly in conflict under the stewardship of the former Minister Ian Macdonald. [More on our formal invite to Ministers Primrose and Kelly]

Old Macdonald had a Ministry, Ei Ei Oh!

Sunday, 15 November 2009 16:09

Minister for Mines, and Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald was today asked to resign from his post in the NSW Government by Premier Rees ostensibly for plotting against him.

We look forward to the new minister visiting our area as many other politicians have done. We look forward to working with the new minister to ensure the Water Study is fully funded and quickly commissioned! Bring him/her on!

CFMEU heavyweights visit Blockade

Sunday, 15 November 2009 16:00

The Blockade was delighted to host the visit of Tony Maher, National President of the Mining & Energy Division of the CFMEU, Grahame Kelly (Northern District Secretary CFMEU) and Ross Whittaker (local CFMEU representative, Gunnedah & employee of Whitehaven Coal) last week.

These gentlemen were very interested in the issues surrounding coal and gas development across the Liverpool Plains and were fully appraised by CCAG members of how inappropriate development, such as the troubled Caroona Coal Project, may jeopardize the long term viability of coal mining in NSW.

We thank them sincerely for their interest and support.

Tasting the Plains: Diversity and Choice.

Sunday, 08 November 2009 17:27

It was a day to remember, when a crowd well in excess of a thousand people on Sunday packed the Caroona Hall and its surrounds to show support for the Taste of the Liverpool Plains. The SOS Liverpool Plains girls delivered with a smorgasbord of food, music, entertainment and speakers to celebrate the diversity and to demonstrate the productivity of our Plains.

Speakers Al Gore ambassador Nell Schofield , journalist broadcaster Jane Singleton, 'Bush Goddess' Penny Scott and local district chef Chris Galvin delivered from their own experiences. Prominent green ban activist Jack Mundey eloquently outlined the parallels of preservation of the prime food production area of the Liverpool Plains and the preservation of Australias heritage. Outside the Hall, Aboriginal dancers and musicians Champagne Charlie complimented the food stands of breads, meats, cakes, wines, and berries whilst other stands promoted local plants, olive oils and natural fibres.

The outstanding success of this showcase event yet again shows our determination to preserve our precious food producing Plains from the ravages of mining.

CCAG Wins Bush Spirit Award!

Sunday, 01 November 2009 07:50

CCAG are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the NSW Tidy Towns Bush Spirit Award 2010 for category D (4,000 - 10,000 people).

We are very grateful for the recognition as we fight to save prime agricultural land and Keep Australia Beautiful at the same time! Our thanks to the people on Gunnedah Council who nominated us and NSW Tidy Towns for their support.

$100 billion food industry eats mining for dinner

Friday, 30 October 2009 20:53

An independent report for Australia's Food and Grocery Council has found that despite global challenges, agriculture and food manufacturing have increased their contribution to Australia's GDP yet again.

The report also highlights that our food industry employs 315,000 people - nearly half of them in rural and regional Australia - feeds over 60 million people worldwide and contributed $49 billion last year to international trade.

The full report by KPMG shows how vital Australia's agrifood business are to the health and prosperity of Australia and all Australians. If the Tasmanian government can legislate to protect agricultural land and food production from inappropriate development, surely its about time NSW woke up and did the same!

Verdict keenly awaited

Thursday, 29 October 2009 08:48

The Land & Environment Court has reserved its decision in a landmark legal case which will decide if NSW Minister for Mineral Resources Ian Macdonald breached the Mining Act when he granted BHP Billiton its $100 million exploration licence over farmland at Caroona. The case was heard before Senior Judge Justice Preston.

In a two-day hearing in Sydney on 26 & 27 October, lawyers for CCAG argued that the Minister had failed to comply with the Act in a number of ways in issuing EL6505 to BHP. CCAG are seeking to have the licence declared invalid.

In his summing up, Mr Bruce McClintock SC for CCAG told the Judge: "There seems to have been a serious degree of confusion within the Department as to what was going on. It is extremely easy to comply with the relevant sections of the Mining Act and it is clear that the Minister has not done so."

A decision in this important case is expected before the end of the year.

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Page 6 of 18

Food Fight

Latest from your foodbowl .....

Water study consultant appointed.

Qld introduces CSG information portal.

Qld proposes to quarantine land for food.

Water study reportedly referred to ICAC

Ministers confirm study funding after Ferguson visit.

Qld farmers organize to fight CSG expansion.

NSW Government legislation amendment
CCAG on miners deception
CCAG on exploration 'halt'

SOS Liverpool Plains urge buy back for Australia

NSW Government V's Supreme Court ruling-
Macdonalds new legislation here.
CCAG comments.
Greens position.
NSW Farmers comment
NSW Bar Association condemns cynical
move

Haystack Road Coal4 Breakfast - excellent latest newsletter regarding protection of Prime Ag Land in QLD

Blockade standdown -
NSW Greens support
NSW Farmers comment.

Supreme Court appeal - Decision here.
Tony Windsor MHR comments
NSW Greens comment

Abbott opposes mining before water study

Environmental Hazards of Oil & Gas Exploration

Commonwealth Intervention on MDB :-
CCAG supports commonwealth intervention of this vital resource.

Senate Food Enquiry :-
Peter Draper MP responds .
Tony Windsor MHR responds.
Senator Scott Ludlam responds.

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 here

21st 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?