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KEPCO Open Letter

Can you help us get the ear of the KEPCO CEO? We're calling on him to sell the land back for agriculture so our community can rebuild. Will you join us?

Phill Kennedy, President, Bylong Valley Protection Alliance


Dear Cheong Seung-il, CEO, KEPCO,

Today the NSW Court of Appeal ruled against KEPCO on appeal which means that the proposed Bylong coal project cannot proceed.

We, the undersigned, are calling on you to respond by relinquishing the exploration lease for the project and selling the land back to agricultural interests. We can see no valid basis for KEPCO to continue with the project. 

The Bylong proposal is beset by severe environmental, social and economic risks. There is fierce and widespread opposition to the project in Australia and both of KEPCO’s legal challenges have failed.

It is also a legacy project planned and conceived many years ago that now has no place given the energy transformation that is underway. 

South Korea’s new electricity plan - finalised in December 2020 - will see thermal coal consumption drop by almost 19 million tonnes per annum by 2030.  The Bylong coal project is inconsistent with this Green New Deal that is underway.

We note that KEPCO has advised the Korean Government that they have recently had an offer for purchase of the land from agricultural interests.

In order to avoid sinking yet more large sums of money into a stranded asset that will besmirch KEPCO’s reputation, we encourage you to relinquish the exploration lease and enable the land to be returned to agriculture and nature conservation.

Regenerative agriculture and carbon farming at Bylong would provide a global climate benefit that would be a credit to KEPCO.

Please act now to relinquish the exploration lease and enable the local community to rebuild around a new, clean future.

Will you sign?


Showing 29 reactions

  • Colin McLean
    signed 2021-12-22 07:58:14 +1100
    Should never been allowed to carry out exploration work at the very beginning. This area is too valuable as farmland.
  • Jill Wran
    signed 2021-11-15 20:21:07 +1100
    So delighted by court of Appeal’s decision but please let’s have the land released now for agricultural purposes. God knows we need to renew and repair the land for food security and the whole biosphere we inhabit.
  • Ian Bell
    signed 2021-11-08 18:54:01 +1100
  • Patrice McRae
    signed 2021-10-08 10:54:54 +1100
  • Laura Badby
    signed 2021-10-07 10:27:30 +1100
  • Cathy Brown
    signed 2021-10-07 08:43:32 +1100
  • Bronwen Evans
    signed 2021-10-06 15:40:41 +1100
    Respect the world and change ro renewable energy
  • Pamela Reeves
    signed 2021-10-01 08:47:20 +1000
  • John Martin
    signed 2021-09-30 21:41:32 +1000
  • J&U Karsch
    signed 2021-09-29 16:44:52 +1000
  • Danny Briggs
    signed 2021-09-28 15:12:18 +1000
    get agricultural land back into production
  • Fay Sheridan
    signed 2021-09-28 14:36:09 +1000
    Please release this fertile land back for resale and we have farmers who want to farm the land to feed the people.
  • Anita & Drew
    signed 2021-09-28 09:38:47 +1000
  • John Simpson
    signed 2021-09-27 20:38:47 +1000
    Please enable this wonderful land to become part of the solution to the world’s problems not a contributing factor thanks
  • Amanda Pahl
    signed 2021-09-27 20:28:57 +1000
  • Yasmin Crockett
    signed 2021-09-27 16:44:11 +1000
  • Riki Riki Davidson Hope Foundation
    signed 2021-09-26 03:06:27 +1000
  • Heather Stolle
    signed 2021-09-25 19:04:33 +1000
  • Carol Saad
    signed 2021-09-24 20:33:56 +1000
    Making this land for agricultural use is the ethical and right thing to do. The best PR you could possibly achieve.
  • Dianne Child
    signed 2021-09-24 09:55:01 +1000
  • Lorraine Campbell
    signed 2021-09-23 21:30:35 +1000
  • Bill Manning
    signed 2021-09-23 18:38:28 +1000
  • Ian Catt
    signed 2021-09-23 15:54:05 +1000
  • Julie Reynolds
    signed 2021-09-23 13:52:19 +1000
  • Peter Strickland
    signed 2021-09-23 09:55:37 +1000
  • John Beasley
    signed 2021-09-23 06:48:18 +1000
  • Keelah Lam
    signed 2021-09-22 22:32:35 +1000
  • Lesley Kinney
    signed 2021-09-22 21:48:42 +1000
  • Pete Bellew
    signed 2021-09-22 21:45:06 +1000