鈥淭here is a massive pipeline of coal projects in the works in NSW,鈥 Nic Clyde from Lock the Gate Alliance (LTGA) told a webinar of around 250 people on November 9.
The webinar launched a 聽and heard several climate activists discuss the challenges facing communities impacted by 聽coal projects.
鈥淭he Chris Minns Labor government is following the previous Coalition in approving new fossil fuel projects,鈥 Clyde said. 鈥淢eanwhile, NSW is in the top 5% of jurisdictions to suffer from the impacts of climate change, according to international research.鈥
础听, which includes climate targets and a new 鈥淣et Zero Commission鈥 to monitor and report聽on progress, has been tabled by Labor. But Clyde said it does not acknowledge that 鈥渁t least 12 proposed coal expansions, which if approved, would equal 15 times NSW鈥檚 annual emissions in their lifetime鈥.
One of the projects, the Hunter Valley Operations coal expansion near Singleton, is the single biggest coal expansion in NSW since the Paris Agreement came into effect in 2016, Clyde said.
Richard Dennis, representing the Australia Institute, said the major parties are 鈥渁fraid鈥 to confront the fossil fuel corporations.
鈥淭his country spends $11 billion a year subsidising fossil fuel companies. Yet, NSW receives only 3% of its state income from the coal industry.鈥
Bev Smiles from Mudgee Coal Alert said coal mining had been in her area since the 1980s. 鈥淭he fact that the state government is still opening up new areas for coal exploration is gobsmacking.鈥
Smiles said the climate movement had had some wins against the coal industry, but mining companies are finding ways around the approval process and 鈥渢he cumulative impact of expansion of existing and new projects is devastating communities鈥.
Angela Michaelis from the LGTA proposed a series of actions including joining the protest.
[Click for more information on the Coal Watch campaign.]