Upper Hunter Valley

Over the years, the Greens have worked with people living in the Upper Hunter district who have experienced problems with air, noise and dust pollution and poor mine rehabilitation.

More recently, complaints about the impact of mining on the local environment have grown into concerns about the runaway expansion of the coal industry, the cumulative impact this is having on the Hunter region, the lack of investment in renewable jobs in clean green energy industries, and the impact that this massive scale coal mining will have on climate change.

Lee visited Muswellbrook in August 2006 to see the extent of mining in the area.

Take a quick virtual tour (there's lots of photos in these pages) :
- Dust storms blown up by coal trucks in the Mt Arthur pit ... #1
- Poor rehabilitation at the Mt Arthur mine site. And where are all those grazing cattle? ... #2
- Lee gets an aerial view of the proposed Anvil Hill site ... #3
- We were shocked by the extent of the devastation ... #4
- Landscape laid to waste ... #5
- Overwhelmed by the sheer scale of destruction ... #6
- This story does not have a happy ending ... #7 .

The map below shows the extent of the devestation revealed in the photographs. We flew west of Muswellbrook over the site of the proposed Anvil Hill coal mine, then headed south-east over the vast expanse of open cut mines towards Singleton. The coloured areas show the extent of current and proposed mining in the Upper Hunter Valley, where 40% of the state's power is generated.

What it's all for .. to feed the hungry maw!

Read The Greens' Coal Communities report.

If you would like to join the Coal Communities campaign,please contact Lee Rhiannon's office on 9230 3551.