Liverpool Plains farmers have reacted angrily to the NSW Government’s announcement that it has bought back only half of the coal exploration licence over the Liverpool Plains owned by Shenhua allowing the company to go ahead with an open-cut coal mine in the midst of NSW’s food bowl.
Breeza farmer Andrew Pursehouse, whose property adjoins the proposed Shenhua coal mine said, “We’ve been betrayed by the NSW Government. If it was serious about protecting farmland, it would have cancelled the coal licence outright and stopped this coal mine.
"Carving out areas that Shenhua weren't going to mine won't change a thing. Anything less than the full cancellation of the Watermark Project will fail to protect the farming systems of the Liverpool Plains.
"The community is fully committed to fight this coal mine going ahead no matter what this government decides."
Phil Laird, National Campaigner for Lock the Gate Alliance said, “The NSW Government could have cancelled this licence and banned coal mining on our agricultural land. Instead, they are handing tax-payers money to a foreign owned company and waving them through to mine our food bowl. It beggars belief.
“We will support the farming community of the Liverpool Plains to keep this mine out of one of the best agricultural regions in this country.