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By John Treadgold

Published at http://www.gmagazine.com.au/node/1681/full

What would motivate you to join a protest movement? How dire would a
situation have to get before you lost faith in the powers that be and
took it upon yourself to physically demand change?

The lack of major protest actions over the past decade would suggest
that this threshold hasn't been met for the majority of Australians.
While this could be interpreted as either complacency or contentment,
the climate change debate is stirring a change. A recent rash of
protest actions is clear evidence of many people's frustration.

At the recent Climate Camp in Helensburgh, NSW
- a gathering of people peaceful protesting against coal mining - I
asked one attendee, Liam, from Newcastle, what had motivated him to
attend the protest. "Dealing with climate change is a unique issue,
there's so many resources backing up big-industry," he said. "I just
didn't feel I could rely on politicians anymore, I had to do something."

The Climate Camp was held in parklands adjacent to Australia's
oldest coal mine, Metropolitan Collieries, just south of Sydney. It
brought together grass-roots communities who were concerned about the
environmental impacts of the planned expansion of the mine. Workshops,
music and discussions sought to unite and educate the disparate
campers. The weekend culminated in a mass peaceful demonstration.

"I haven't protested before, but after seeing some horrific
environmental degredation in South America I had to act, I didn't want
to let that happen here in Australia," Liam said.

Media Release – 20 October 2009

Our comments on today’s release of BHP Billiton’s 30-year mine plan in the Southern Coalfield

Mining expansion to avoid big rivers

BY BRETT COX
15/10/2009 9:36:00 AM

The region's next major mine expansion could involve the extraction of 300 million tonnes of coal from a 19,000ha area, securing 1200 direct jobs for 30 years.

In a decision designed to appease environmentalists, Illawarra Coal's plan, to be released publicly within days as part of a final detailed environmental assessment, includes buffer zones under major waterways to be kept free from longwall mining operations.

The company says about 70 million tonnes of mainly coking coal will be left untouched under the Nepean, Cataract, Georges and Woronora rivers.

The move follows sustained and high-profile opposition to the State Government's approval in June of Peabody Energy Australia's Helensburgh Metropolitan Colliery expansion project, which controversially included mining directly under the Woronora Reservoir.

It is understood Illawarra Coal, a BHP Billiton subsidiary, has now submitted its environmental assessment to the NSW Department of Planning.

If, as expected, the assessment is deemed adequate, the plans will be publicly released within days and a public consultation period will begin, before the department reaches a final decision about the middle of next year.

Illawarra Coal faced heavy criticism in the 1990s for damage caused to the Cataract River.

Illawarra Coal's general manager sustainable development and external affairs, John Brannon, said he believed the new proposal was more environmentally and economically balanced.

From the Collie Mail, Thursday October 15