Rising Tide Australia

NARRABRI COAL MINE PROPOSAL

Proponent: Narrabri Coal, a subsidiary of NCIG member Whitehaven Coal.

Location: In the Gunnedah Basin of Northern NSW, which the industry refers to as the “new coal frontier”. The Narrabri coal mine proposal is 20 km southeast of Narrabri.

Proposal: Whitehaven Coal are proposing an underground mine a few kilometres from the Namoi River, and partly underneath Pilliga East State Forest, which would produce up to 2.5 million tonnes of saleable coal per year for export out of Newcastle. When burned, that coal would produce about 6 million tonnes of greenhouse pollution per year (comparison: the NSW metal production industry produced a bit over 7 million tonnes in 2004).

Process as at end November 2006: Whitehaven have received the Environmental Assessment Requirements from the Director General of the NSW Planning Department, as per the NSW planning act. They are presumable having an Environmental Assessment prepared. The EA Requirements do not include an assessment of the impacts on life on earth from the burning of the coal, and subsequent climate change. Keep up to date on the NSW Planning Department website: www.planning.nsw.gov.au/asp/register2006.asp#north

Further info:
www.whitehaven.net.au
enquiries@whitehaven.net.au

Check out this map of the Whitehaven empire

Local contacts: We are not aware of any local groups working against this proposal, let us know if you are.