Our common home, our farmland, rivers, villages and bushland are being torn up or ruined for coal mining. How long are coal affected communities expected to wait for the Government to do something to fix up coal mining?
It’s been five years since the Coalition Government was elected in NSW promising to protect farmland and water resources from coal mining and a year since the farming community on the Liverpool Plains were betrayed by the Government when it approved Shenhua’s Watermark coal mine.
In the meantime, more mines and expansions have been approved, and people are suffering from air pollution, noise, lost water and torn social fabric.
If Mike Baird is going to act, he’s got to do it now, before any more damage is done.
Can you call him today and tell him you want protection for farmland, water, villages and bushland from coal mining?
His phone number is (02) 8574 5000
If you can’t get directly through to the Premier, then leave a message with his staff.
Here are some things you might want to say:
- It is not in the interests of the people of NSW for the Government to continue to favour coal mining at the expense of other industries and widely-held community values.
- Communities affected by mining are not getting a fair go – the planning process does not protect them from noise, dust and negative social impacts, nor does it prevent damage to water resources, food-producing lands or natural areas.
- Our good farmland, rivers and groundwater, rural villages and bushland urgently need outright protection from coal mining, will you do it now?
- Coal companies that are in severe financial trouble, like Peabody and Wollongong Coal, want Government approval for more highly damaging mining projects in New South Wales. Why are these projects being seriously considered, when existing mines are already in trouble?
- So many damaging coal mining projects, like the Watermark mine on the Liverpool Plains and the Warkworth mine expansion near Bulga, have been approved by the Government recently. We can’t afford any more delay in fixing this problem. Will you act now and ensure protections are in placed before any more mines or expansions are approved?
If you can't get through to the Premier, leave your message with his staff. Be polite, but firm: communities can't wait any longer for relief from the impacts of coal mining.
Once you've called him on (02) 8574 5000, use the box below to tell us how it went...
If you can't get through, you can leave written feedback for the Premier on his contact page here.
If you haven't already added your name to our open letter for coal reform, you can do that here.