Opinion
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The Independent Planning Commission (IPC) ruled that Dartbrook underground mine in the Upper Hunter could re-open, but only for three years.
In the process of giving this approval the IPC knocked back an application by the owners of Dartbrook, Australian Pacific Coal (AQC), for the mine's life to be extended for a further five years until 2027.
Now with this ruling, was the IPC hoping that the owners would decide to cut their losses and walk away from the project, or to put it simply, did the Commission lack the willpower to make an evidence based verdict and reject the application known as Dartbrook Modification 7 in its entirety, and therefore prevent the reopening of this troublesome mine.
Dartbrook has been in care and maintenance since its closure in 2006. Mining giant Anglo American could not make this mine work safely and profitably. It is the site of multiple fatalities and has problems with gas, water and coal quality.
Anglo sold the mine in 2016 to AQC - a company with absolutely no mining experience, let alone, underground experience.
At the IPC's public meeting to review the project and in subsequent submissions to them it was clearly obvious the community of the Upper Hunter did not want the mine re-opened. Upper Hunter Shire Council did not want the mine re-opened nor did the region's internationally recognised thoroughbred industry.
Various experts on coal and mining spoke and wrote about the dangers of Dartbrook and how the coal produced was unlikely to find a market in an unwashed state.
The IPC was told by many landholders of their fear for future water supplies should the mine reopen and doctors spoke about the impacts on an already overloaded airshed in the Upper Hunter.
On that evidence alone, one would have thought, the IPC would reject the application and they sort of did but didn't.
In reading their reasons for rejecting the five year mining extension they accepted all of the above evidence and also raised concerns about the applicant's assessment of social and environmental impacts of the mine and the economic grounds to allow the mine to continue past December 2022.
If it failed the extension how did it pass the reopening?
The mine is still a risk to the workers, to the environment, to water sources and to the community of the Upper Hunter.
In fact, now in three years time, that community has to muster the resources to fight another application.
When those resources should be spent on developing sustainable industries - industries of the future.
The IPC's decision to allow the mine to operate for three years is not based on evidence or the wishes of the Upper Hunter community.
It is a poor planning decision at a time where the community is in desperate need of sound leadership and vision.