The Upper Hunter

Changed landscapes, disturbed micro climates, loss of remnant vegetation and biodiversity, the over-use of Hunter River water for heavy industry and poor rehabilitation practices for ecosystems affected by mining all combine to create a grave impact on the environment.

The Hunter region

The Port of Hunter is the world's largest exporter of coal and the Hunter region is Australia's largest producer of coal-fired electricity. There are 24 open cut and 10 underground (predominantly longwall) coal mines currently in operation in the Hunter valley region, and more awaiting approval. (See below).

About 30% of the local coal is used in the power industry to produce 25% of Australia's electricity.

UpperHunter

Some parts of the Hunter Valley have been totally given over to mining. This map (above) of the Singleton/Muswellbrook region shows how the towns are surrounded by mining projects.

Open cut coal mines have transformed large parts of the Hunter into a lunar landscape. Surreal aerial photographs reveal the devastation caused by the enormous scale of open cut coal mining in the Upper Hunter area.

Environmental Impact

The government has not adequately considered the cumulative impacts of open-cut coal mines and power stations in the Hunter, nor the resulting greenhouse gas emissions.

Water

There are major water problems being caused by mining in the Hunter Valley. Groundwater, borewater and wells are being lost. Aquifers are drained and contaminated, connectivity with streams is being disrupted and acid mine drainage is occuring. On the surface, contaminated water is discharged and streams are diverted. Water quality is being continually degraded. The Hunter region experiences acid rain.

Mining companies are not meeting their responsibility to clean up their mess, even though this is one of the many conditions of consent placed on coal companies to gain approval to open a mine.

The Kurri Kurri land care group is building a lime dousing plant to clean the degraded water near their local mine. This work should be done by the mining company, as a condition of their ongoing mine approval. But under the current regime, once a company has gained mine approval, they are free to operate in contravention to their conditions of consent. In rare cases, a mining company may be asked to pay a small fee for failing to meet their conditions of consent.

Human Health

The operational noise and vibrations - blasting, low frequency machinery, truck transportation, rail movements - all disturb the sleep of residents who live nearby to the mines as they can operate into the small hours of the morning. This has a severe impact on people's lives for years on end. And yet, there are no fixed standards and the noise pollution goes largely unmonitored.

The air quality near mine sites is also routinely compromised. In March 2005, Wybong Road at Muswellbrook was closed due to blasting at the nearby mine. An unsightly dust cloud rose 200-300 metres into the air.

No regional monitoring systems have been established for dust particulates, noise pollution or vibrations. There is little consideration of the impact of these developments on the long-term wellbeing of the community.

Social Costs

Mining communities in the Hunter region also face enormous social issues, such as the loss of community brought about by the halting of inter-generational home ownership and relocation. When a mining company buys up properties, hundreds of landowners and their families can be displaced from their communities. This creates a jarring effect in the local community, and can cause a divide between miners and farmers.

There is also a tremendous loss of cultural heritage in the region. Historical buildings are lost or destroyed after mining. Aboriginal heritage sites with special spiritual significance are also lost or destroyed. Large areas of land are lost to the community for long periods of time once they become part of a mine site.

Large coal companies are profiting enormously from coal. Yet there is declining employment in the coal industry compared to alternative industries such as agriculture, tourism, viticulture, clean industry, and renewable energy. There is also a lack of investment in these alternative industries.

The regional focus, along with the funding, has all been drawn into support for the coal and coal-fired power industries, rather than clean industry and renewable energy systems. This strategic failure will have a long-term adverse impact on the Hunter community.

Read the Greenpeace report: Global cost of coal: €360 billion

Greenpeace today released an analysis showing that the global cost of coal was at least €360 billion last year alone. The report, «The True Cost of Coal», released with the independent Dutch Institute CE Delft, arrived at this figure by looking at very modest CO2 damage costs, health costs and mining accidents.

The Hunter Valley Mines:

Open-cut mines:

Bengalla, Bayswater, Mt Arthur North, Drayton, Liddel, Cumnock south, Mt Owen / Ravensworth East, Ravensworth West / Narama, Glendell proposal, Glennies Creek, Hunter Valley Operations, Rixs Creek, Ashton, Camberwell, Wambo, Mt Thorley, Warkworth, Bulga / Beltana, Anvil Hill (Mangoola), Bickham, Mt Pleasant, Muswellbrook, Saddlers Ck, Integra Coal.

Underground coal mines:

Mt Arthur, Glennies Creek, Ashton, United, Wambo, Bulga / Beltana, Mitchells Flat, Newpak No. 1, Saddlers Ck, Sandy Ck (board and pillar), Integra Coal.

Latest News:

Newcastle coal export boost exposes govt deception on its climate change plans: Greens MP Lee Rhiannon commenting on the NSW government’s Hunter Coal Export Framework, a scheme designed to create a massive increase in coal export capacity that starts on New Year’s Day, has left Labor’s climate change credentials in tatters.
Greens call on Bickham Coal to come clean on coal mine expansion plans: Greens MP and mining spokesperson Lee Rhiannon has called on Bickham Coal mine in the Upper Hunter Valley to come clean about its secret underground coal mine expansion plans that were exposed in a submission by the proposed Queensland Hunter Gas Pipeline project to the NSW Department of Planning.
Greens slam Hunter pollution: Coal mining companies continue to breach environmental pollution licences: there were 3032 recorded incidents of companies failing to meet requirements in the seven years to the end of June last year. By Paul MAGUIRE, Sydney morning Herald, 22 Nov, 2008.
Labor digs in as mining companies dig up: Greens MP and donations spokesperson Lee Rhiannon says new data released today by the Australian Electoral Commission for 2007/2008 shows that mining companies and developers operating in the Hunter have been generous donors to the Labor Party.
Mining stalwart sees no future in carbon plan: Kevin Rudd should meet Graham Brown before he decides to spend billions of dollars on carbon capture and storage. A coalminer for more than 20 years, Brown retired in 2007 and is happy to call a spade a bloody shovel. (Paddy Manning, Sustainable Investing, Sydney Morning Herald - Business section, April 25, 2009)
SMH - Scrap coal plan, says Rudd's man: Former NSW Sustainability Commissioner Peter Newman advises the Rudd Government to move away from coal ..... writes Matthew Moore.
Tebbutt ignores health risks of Upper Hunter coal mining: Greens MP and health spokesperson Lee Rhiannon says the Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt must immediately respond to calls to initiate an independent health study into the health risks of coal mining to residents living in the Upper Hunter.
Tebbutt ignores health risks of Upper Hunter coal mining: Greens MP and health spokesperson Lee Rhiannon says the Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt must immediately respond to calls to initiate an independent health study into the health risks of coal mining to residents living in the Upper Hunter ("Health study denied despite cancer cluster", SMH, page 2).
Hunter seismic survey could cause damage: Commenting on today's announcement that the NSW government will fund a seismic survey of the Western Hunter, Greens MP and mineral resources spokesperson Lee Rhiannon said this exploration could result in local environmental damage and has exposed the NSW government's failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Ms Rhiannon says the survey should have been the subject of an Environmental Impact Study.
Boom in Hunter coal royalties comes at a cost: Greens MP and mining spokesperson Lee Rhiannon said today that the tripling of coal royalties collected by the NSW government over the past three years from Hunter coal projects cannot be celebrated considering the associated costs (page 1, Newcastle Herald, 'State reaps $920m from Hunter coalmines').

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