BATTLE FOR BERRIMA MOBILISES FIRST COMMUNITY MEETING
Announcement posted by Battle4Berrima 08 Sep 2015
- Briefing on Hume Coal Mine Threat
Tuesday 8th September; An Urgent Community Briefing will be conducted in Berrima this Sunday, informing local residents, families, businesses and visitors of the threat posed by Hume Coal’s plans to mine the Southern Highlands.
The event, with expert speakers and Q&A for residents, will be held on Sunday 13th September at 2pm at the Anglican Village Hall, Berrima.
The Urgent Community Briefing follows the establishment of the Battle4Berrima Association, which is joining forces with Southern Highlands Coal Action Group (SHCAG) to stop the mine in its tracks.
‘Hume Coal’s plan poses a five pronged threat to Berrima, New Berrima, Medway and every village across the Southern Highlands’, said Battle4Berrima Vice President Rod Blay.
“These include:
“Hume Coal’s plan to build a 6 storey high, 800 metre long coal stockpile on the doorstep of Australia’s last mainland Georgian Village, is just the tip of the iceberg.
“The potential long term health, water, environment and economic impacts on the entire Southern Highlands far outweigh any short term benefit put forward by Hume Coal.
“Speakers at Sunday’s Meeting will brief residents, families, businesses and visitors on the effects of Hume Coal’s planned mine including:
“Hume Coal’s announcement of its’ mine proposal has galvanised opposition across the Southern Highlands and beyond.
‘Battle4Berrima stands by all our colleagues including Southern Highlands Coal Action Group, and all the villages and communities united in a single aim to stop Hume Coal.
“We welcome anyone from the Highlands to attend Sunday and stand up against the community and environmental vandalism that coal mining represents”, said Mr. Blay.
Media Contact for Battle4Berrima:
Amanda Fry 0418 262 282
Julian Brophy 0408 276 749
The event, with expert speakers and Q&A for residents, will be held on Sunday 13th September at 2pm at the Anglican Village Hall, Berrima.
The Urgent Community Briefing follows the establishment of the Battle4Berrima Association, which is joining forces with Southern Highlands Coal Action Group (SHCAG) to stop the mine in its tracks.
‘Hume Coal’s plan poses a five pronged threat to Berrima, New Berrima, Medway and every village across the Southern Highlands’, said Battle4Berrima Vice President Rod Blay.
“These include:
- Lowering groundwater by 150 metres or more across 300 sq km
- Releasing dangerous micro-coal particulate into the air we breathe
- Contamination of local drinking water supplies by coal deposits
- Threatening established jobs and a sustainable service economy
- Environmental damage including irreversible impacts on the aquifer
“Hume Coal’s plan to build a 6 storey high, 800 metre long coal stockpile on the doorstep of Australia’s last mainland Georgian Village, is just the tip of the iceberg.
“The potential long term health, water, environment and economic impacts on the entire Southern Highlands far outweigh any short term benefit put forward by Hume Coal.
“Speakers at Sunday’s Meeting will brief residents, families, businesses and visitors on the effects of Hume Coal’s planned mine including:
- The scale of water loss across the Southern Highlands as detailed by UNSW experts
- The vast area in which those with bores or water sources can expect them to run dry or be seriously compromised
- The dangerous effects of micro-coal dust for which there is no safe level for children or adults
- Flawed wind modelling by Hume Coal which underplays the scale of dust borne pollution
- How local drinking water will be exposed and possible long term contamination of the aquifer
“Hume Coal’s announcement of its’ mine proposal has galvanised opposition across the Southern Highlands and beyond.
‘Battle4Berrima stands by all our colleagues including Southern Highlands Coal Action Group, and all the villages and communities united in a single aim to stop Hume Coal.
“We welcome anyone from the Highlands to attend Sunday and stand up against the community and environmental vandalism that coal mining represents”, said Mr. Blay.
Media Contact for Battle4Berrima:
Amanda Fry 0418 262 282
Julian Brophy 0408 276 749