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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 30 reactions

  • Nola Pettett
    signed 2021-09-15 08:26:30 +1000
  • Heathet Davie
    signed 2021-09-15 08:25:57 +1000
    It is so important to retain productive agricultural land, considering the future impacts of climate change and future problems for food supply.
  • Rhonda Green
    signed 2021-09-15 08:25:38 +1000
  • Beverley Alderton
    signed 2021-09-15 08:24:47 +1000
  • Julia Imrie
    signed 2021-09-15 08:24:27 +1000
    Climate science fully supports the IPCC & UN urgent call for dramatic reductions in fossil fuel use within 10 years an end to all new fossil fuel exploration and production, and shift fossil fuel subsidies into renewable energy. The change to a carbon neutral society needs to include agriculture, and returning this productive valley into the hands of local people who can drive regenerative agriculture and carbon farming.
  • Lizzie Mortimer
    signed 2021-09-15 08:22:23 +1000
  • Christine Clarke
    signed 2021-09-15 08:20:58 +1000
    a wonderful outcome for the community and the country – please sell the land back to farmers or environmentalists
  • Vanessa Kneipp
    signed 2021-09-15 08:20:34 +1000
    Locals shouldn’t have to fight against mines in the first place! Change the laws so that productive land is are no go zones
  • Christine Rumble
    signed 2021-09-15 08:19:48 +1000
  • Jim Rogers
    signed 2021-09-15 08:19:30 +1000
    Let’s phase out coal mining as soon as possible for the sake of the environment
  • David M Golding
    signed 2021-09-15 08:19:02 +1000
  • John Russell
    signed 2021-09-15 08:14:51 +1000
  • Sue Jameson
    signed 2021-09-15 08:12:35 +1000
  • Helga Burry
    signed 2021-09-15 08:11:21 +1000
  • Roger Corben
    signed 2021-09-15 08:10:11 +1000
    The best use for this land is for agriculture, please do the right thing
  • Cecily Mahoney
    signed 2021-09-15 08:09:51 +1000
    The only sensible solution.
  • Gabrielle Asprey
    signed 2021-09-15 08:08:34 +1000
  • Sonia Laverty
    signed 2021-09-15 08:08:14 +1000
  • Mick Haynes
    signed 2021-09-15 08:05:00 +1000
    Would be wonderfull if the company could.
  • Philippa Powell
    signed 2021-09-15 07:59:41 +1000
  • Duane Norris
    signed 2021-09-15 07:56:50 +1000
    Do the right thing now Kepco.
  • Judith Berry
    signed 2021-09-15 07:52:31 +1000
  • Joe White
    signed 2021-09-15 07:51:46 +1000
  • Leonie Foley
    signed 2021-09-15 07:50:12 +1000
  • Russell Langfield
    signed 2021-09-15 07:49:58 +1000
    Please give the land back to farmers and/or the Indigenous community.
  • Jann Dark
    signed 2021-09-15 07:46:20 +1000
  • Naida Wills
    signed 2021-09-15 07:41:33 +1000
  • Sylvia McArthur
    signed 2021-09-15 07:41:21 +1000
  • A Quested
    signed 2021-09-15 07:38:14 +1000
  • Berni Aquilina
    signed 2021-09-15 07:36:31 +1000
    Selling the Kepco land back for local farming and environmental conservation would be the best outcome possible rather than selling land for international corporate agriculture. The Bylong Valley is a small and beautiful part of NSW with fertile agricultural land and a heritage of sustainable farming practices. It would be wonderful to see this continue and we in Australia would always be grateful to the KEPCO for enabling such an outcome.

    Yours Respectfully

    Berni Aquilina