I, and also on behalf of Senator Waters, move: That the Senate-
(a) notes that:
(i) the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission (the Commission) has rejected the development of the Bylong Valley coal mine near Mudgee in New South Wales, citing concerns about the long-lasting environmental, agricultural and heritage impacts of the proposed coal mine;
(ii) the Commission raised serious concerns about the proposed mine, including groundwater contamination and the mine’s contribution to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions; and
(iii) the Commission also raised concerns about the intergenerational inequity of environmental costs associated with the proposal, saying that younger generations would have to bear the heavy environmental, agricultural and heritage costs of the proposed coal mine; and
(b) congratulates the community, who have been campaigning for years to protect the Bylong Valley from coal mining.
