The National Parks Association of NSW has welcomed coal mining company South32’s abandonment of their proposed expansion of the Dendrobium mine under Sydney’s drinking water catchment. We now call on Environment Minister to take this opportunity for a major reset on the future of Sydney’s drinking water catchments.
Tag: Mining
Threats to Wollemi National Park: from 8 new coal mining leases
David Hufton, member, NPANSW
The NSW Government has announced exploration and development of new coal mine leases in State Forests bordering Wollemi National Park, a UNESCO area.
As part of the NSW Government 2020 Coal Strategy eight new areas for coal exploration have been identified, four on the borders of Wollemi National Park.
Link to map: Areas in NSW coal regions available and excluded from future coal exploration and mining
The negative impacts to biodiversity from forest loss and coal mining would be catastrophic to the ecosystems and environmental values of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (Wollemi Section).
Read More “Threats to Wollemi National Park: from 8 new coal mining leases”
Dendrobium Mine Expansion Refused
Dr Peter Turner, NPA Mining Projects Science Officer
To the great relief of many, the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) has refused the proposed expansion of the Dendrobium coal mine, south west of Sydney. Approval would have continued the highly damaging mining introduced in 2013, from 2024 to 2048. The refusal constitutes a reality check for the mining company, and the Department of Planning. The Department had been the consent authority since a Commission of Inquiry approved the mine in 2001.
Climate Change: Emissions for Export
David Teather
Emeritus Professor and long-standing NPA member
The Paris agreement on climate change, of 2015, has been adopted by 196 countries. It aims to limit global warming to 2 degrees C by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. Researchers at University College London (McGlade and Elkins, 2015) calculated that in order to limit warming to 2 degrees, a third of the world’s oil reserves, half the gas reserves and over 80 per cent of current coal reserves must remain unused during the next 40 years. Meanwhile, in Australia (as if on another planet) coal barons and corporations were jockeying for position to begin mining the Galilee Basin – one of the world’s largest untouched coal deposits.
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