BULGA Milbrodale Progress Association (BMPA) is calling on the NSW Premier Mike Baird to immediately intervene to protect the Bulga community, the environment and save mine jobs by creating a “no go area” for open cut mining but allowing the area to mined by underground extraction methods.
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In a letter from the association to the Premier sent at the end of last week, the BMPA wants Mr Baird to act now before the Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) makes its final ruling on the future of Rio Tinto’s expansion plans for their Warkworth and Mount Thorley Mines.
PAC has given conditional approval for the expansion plans following two public hearings, one public meeting and two reviews.
The commission’s final determination is expected before Christmas as they are still going through final public submissions, which closed on Friday.
BMPA president John Krey said the Premier, to make a difference, needed to intervene before PAC’s final determination was made.
“We have written to Premier Baird and his Planning Minister Rob Stokes saying they have a chance now to make a difference, to save our beautiful
village, protect the environment and Aboriginal heritage and at the same time save mine workers jobs,” he said.
“If the area between the mine and our village best known as Saddleback Ridge was declared a non-disturbance area which prevented open cut mining then everyone involved in this long battle would be happy.
“Rio Tinto argues they can’t operate an underground mine, well they are selling those mines anyway; the next owners could well operate such a mine and that way the jobs – described by PAC as so important in their approval for the expansion plans can be saved.”
At the centre of the BMPA push for the non-disturbance area is the 2003 Deed of Agreement signed by the NSW Government and Warkworth Mining Ltd (Rio Tinto) to protect in perpetuity Saddleback Ridge from open cut mining.
The letter from BMPA to the Premier states this non-disturbance area, which was part of the undertakings by Warkworth Mining to achieve the 2003 expansion approval, was designed to not only preserve endangered ecological communities but, according to the EIS of 2002, was designed to act as a buffer zone between mine expansion and the township of Bulga.
BMPA want the 2003 deed honoured by the Premier and Minister Stokes using existing planning laws to protect Saddleback Ridge.
The association said the reinstatement of the deed would restore confidence in the Premier, his government and preserve country villages, particularly in the Hunter Valley from the devastation of open-cut mining.
“It will not prevent an expansion of the Warkworth Mine (should PAC approve the application with the condition of that non disturbance area be rezoned as not available for open cut mining) and thus preserve the jobs and save our village and the environment,” the letter states.
