IAN Moore is honouring his dad’s dying wish, and in so doing, hopes future generations and Australia’s agricultural heritage benefit.
The legally blind cattle farmer has been forced to take Land and Environment Court action in an attempt to stop a coalmining company drilling exploration holes on his Apple Tree Flat property, 40 kilometres west of Singleton.
NuCoal Resources officials want to eventually longwall mine four underground seams below his 180 hectares which Mr Moore fears will cause massive surface subsidence and destroy the area’s water aquifers.
“My father (George Moore) died suddenly in 1969 but the last thing he said, as he held my hand, was ‘can you look after things for me?’
“I was just a 20-year-old with a visual impairment and, at the time, didn’t think I knew enough about running the farm.
“But there wasn’t anything for it so I ran the farm and now we have to fight to save it because if we don’t there’ll be nothing left, and I don’t just mean around here.”
Mr Moore said coalmining generally was causing too many environmental and social impacts and a stand had to be taken to help restore some balance that protected beautiful fertile land, essential clean water sources and the rural way of life for future generations.
Mr Moore is proud to be part of a family which has been farming around Singleton for nearly 170 years.
He was born in 1948, the year his father began leasing the land on which he now stands.
“When I was eight or nine they noticed my eyesight wasn’t right and although I’ve been to the best experts in Australia they don’t know the cause and it’s been gradually deteriorating ever since,” he said.
“I’ve always had something to do with the land out here and when I left school dad set up the dairy in 1964 and I helped run it, first with him and after 1980 with Robyn, until the end of 2006.
“I know the place well, I have a good memory, know where everything is and I work with Robyn.”
Mr Moore said it would be impossible for him to do anywhere near as much as he does now if he had to move elsewhere.
With adequate light he can see shadowy shapes and, with care, can drive tractors, motor and quad bikes, move cattle, electric fences and irrigation pipes.
“It’s a team effort, Robyn can help me get irrigation pipes in a fairly straight line, but when we’re fencing I have to lift all the posts and do the ramming,” he said.
“Yes, going to court is about saving what Robyn and I have, but it’s much more than that, mining has gone far enough and there has to be a limit so Australia has a future after coal.”
NuCoal managing director Glen Lewis said the Moores had to realise, that coal was a resource that belonged to the state, not an individual, and his company was merely following a process to determine the value of what was under the ground.
Mr Lewis said he accepted the Moore’s right to go to court over the issue and his company would abide with whatever decision the court made.
NuCoal had a licence to explore 28 square kilometres near Jerrys Plains and the Moores were among only five landholders who had refused exploration access.
Preliminary investigations indicate there are more than 500million tonnes of coal under the exploration area and if half of this was extractable, Mr Lewis said this would provide an underground mine with a 40 year lifespan.
“We have drilled 38 exploration holes in the area since November 2009 with no negative impact,” he said.
“This is about understanding the geology so we can minimise risks and put forward a project that’s environmentally, socially and geologically responsible.
“People have to realise there’s a huge difference between underground and open-cut mining.”
Mr Lewis said Mr Moore was not a technical expert on the impacts of underground mining, whereas he had 32 years experience in the industry and had been involved in numerous projects successfully underground mining vineyards, olive groves, cattle properties, even townships.
“I know there are negative stories about mining, but there are also as many positive ones,” Mr Lewis said.
“We want to drill three holes on the Moore’s property, 550metres deep and with a diameter about the same as a soft drink bottle.
“The drilling rig normally takes about four weeks to do each hole and once we have taken out the core the hole is filled with concrete.”
Mr Moore said that while exploration drilling was a concern, the end result of a full-blown mine under his property was vastly more concerning.
“And I know Mr Lewis says only a handful of people have not allowed access to their properties for exploration but I personally know of at least 12, and there could be many more,” Mr Moore said.
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