HISTORIC MINE KNOCK BACK CITING IT’S EFFECT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Opponents are celebrating a precedent-setting decision by the Land and Environment Court, to refuse the proposed Rocky Hill coal mine at Gloucester.

A judge today upheld the state government’s original decision, while citing the mine’s effect on climate change.

“I’m just so pleased to think that they’ve made this decision, they’ve thought of the community, and they’ve also thought of climate change,” said farmer Karen O’Brien.

The decision follows a lengthy campaign from protest group, Groundswell Gloucester which have fought multiple mine proposals for more than a decade.

In December 2017 the Planning and Assessment Commission refused the mine on a number of grounds however mine proponent Gloucester Resources Limited lodged an appeal in the Land and Environment Court.

Today’s landmark ruling knocked back that appeal.

GRL Chief Operating Officer Brian Clifford said he’s “disappointed that the New South Wales Land and Environment Court had refused the mining application in circumstances where the application had met all non-discretionary criteria.”

However to completely rule out the possibility of mining in the area, the State Government has to step in and buy back the mining license.