A recent attempt to reallocate funds from Bulga Coal’s Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA) has angered Bulga residents.
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The VPA is a part of the consent conditions for the operation of Glencore’s Bulga Coal Optimisation project and is an agreement signed by the company and Singleton Council (signed June 2015). They are now part and parcel of every mine approval process with funds allocated to communities affected by the mine’s operations.
Under Bulga Coal’s VPA the company allocated $3.16 million in funds for Singleton Local Government Area with specific mention of projects for the Broke, Bulga and Milbrodale villages. Approximately $655,000 in funds was allocated for Broke and Bulga village master plans and the implementation of those plans.
However at a meeting of the Broke Bulga Milbrodale Community Committee, which is tasked to oversee the Bulga Coal VPA, on February, 6 a motion was passed saying ‘monies that has been allocated to Bulga projects be reallocated to Broke project. Projects listed for Bulga will have funds allocated under the adopted MTW VPA’.
The motion was rescinded at the Committee’s March meeting.This followed letters from Committee member John Krey and Bulga resident Alan Leslie.
Both men clearly stated the Bulga VPA is an entirely separate document to the MTW VPA. According to Mr Leslie’s letter the original motion constitutes a breach of the Consent conditions for the Bulga Optimisation project.
“Bulga VPA is not connected with the MTW VPA. They are independent entities. And given the impacts of the Bulga mine are not on Broke but on Bulga/Putty Rd and Milbrodale and Milbrodale Rd, to exclude them from the VPA monies is tantamount to theft.” he wrote.
Mr Krey said both Bulga and Broke were identified in the Bulga Coal VPA to receive funding at approximately 50/50 allocation.
Singleton Council, general manager Jason Linnane said the motion passed at the February meeting was part of ongoing conversation about to how best allocate these funds and maximise benefit for the whole community.
At their March meeting the terms of reference for the commitee were changed with Mr Linnane saying the changes were designed to improve governance, process and clarity of roles for the committee and Council. “It’s part of our normal practice of continual improvement,” he said.