NSW Government approves doubling of Newcastle coal exports

Submitted by admin on 17 April 2007 - 6:18pm

During August and September 2006, over 700 people wrote to the NSW Government demanding that they reject the proposal for a new Coal Export Terminal (CET) in Newcastle Harbour - already the world's biggest coal port . Nearly every submission the government received opposed the CET on the basis of the massive amounts of greenhouse pollution it would facilitate.

In November 2006, a government appointed "Independent Expert Panel" conducted three days of public hearings into the CET proposal. Once again, the community came out in force, and nearly every submission to the panel demanded that the CET proposal be rejected.

In April 2007, the NSW Government overrode the clear will of the community, caved in to coal lobby pressure, and approved the new CET . On the same day, they approved a major capacity expansion of the existing Kooragang Coal Terminal . These two projects will together increase Newcastle coal export capacity to 211 million tonnes per year. That's equivalent to well over three times the NSW domestic greenhouse pollution from all sources.

The new CET alone would be the climate change equivalent of doubling NSW domestic greenhouse emissions.

While the project has the approval of the NSW Government, it will take at least 2 and a half years to construct, and during that time the social licence can still be withdrawn. It is definitely not too late to prevent this project from proceeding. Rising Tide will be organising large public demonstrations and civil disobedience against the proposed CET, and you will invited to attend.

In the meantime, we urge you to express your dismay at the NSW Government's decision to approve the doubling of Newcastle coal exports. A sample letter is here. Please write to:
Premier, Morris Iemma: thepremier@www.nsw.gov.au
Planning Minister, Frank Sartor: office@sartor.minister.nsw.gov.au
Climate Change Minister, Phil Koperberg: office@koperberg.minister.nsw.gov.au

Also, send a copy to the Leader of the Opposition, Barry O'Farrell: LOP@parliament.nsw.gov.au
And to your local member. (Who?, Where ?)

And why not send a copy to us: risingtide AT risingtide DOT org DOT au

About us. Rising Tide Australia is a grassroots Newcastle group taking action against the causes of anthropogenic climate change and for equitable, just, effective, and sustainable solutions to the crisis. We are committed to the principals of Non-violent Direct Action. We are part of the global Rising Tide climate justice movement. We live in the biggest coal port in the cosmos.