Wolgan River alert

Centennial Coal has lodged an application for the expansion of their long wall mining activities from both Springvale and Angus Place collieries.

After having damaged the water catchment of the southern branch of the Wolgan River they are now moving north and east under the still pristine Carne Creek area.

Carne Creek joins the Wolgan at the resort and despite of what the miners want to tell us on their 536 page + Environmnetal Impact Statement. The undermining of the gorge will drain the aquifers and it is likely that the swamps dry out, the rock will crack and the aquivers will change for ever - the southern branch is clear evidence of that.

But not only that, according to the Colong Foundation's media release they plan to pump 42 mio litres per day of mine water out of the mines and dump it untreated into Sydney Water's catchment. Cheers Sydney. 

More than 400 submisssions were received by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure when the exhibition period ended on 26th of May 2014.

A public hearing was held at Wallerawang on 16 Oct.

In November Centennial has changed it's policy with the "shock announcement" of the moth-balling of Angus Place colliery.

Coal mining finally ceased mid February 2015.

While we welcome the move to halt this destruction of our land, water and climate our sympathy goes to the miners who are loosing their jobs.

A PAC meeting for the Springvale application was heald at Lithgow on 27 May to a packed audience. 300 jobs are on the line and this is seen as the "final straw" for Lithgow. 

The town is anxiously awaiting the outcome to be anounced end of June.