The benefits of coal mining John, I thought were very clear. Highly paid jobs for those with the guts to go under ground and work in mud and slush. A very good profit for State government by way of taxes and charges. A handsome profit for the mining magnates, and of course we get the coal generated power stations to supply our electricity. Nothing operates without electricity.

intouch. Say we expand the Moonscape Mess of the Hunter Valley onwards to encircle beautiful Denman (2 open cuts planned within site of the town) west to Merriwa and onwards along the Goulburn River past Cassillis or allow the flattening of the Wallaby Scrub at Bulga (it was protected to off set the destruction at Wambo, but they want to reverse the reserve). along with this allow the destruction of the Carrington Stud river flats at Jerry's Plains, Undermine the biggest Horse studs in the southern hemisphere or the full destruction of the Wybong valley with the new Manobali, Castlerock, Mt Pleaseant open cuts (Mangoola is looking after flattening first section of the Wybong now). Add to this they will acquire multiple irrigation licences creating dry land farms along the river valley floor that used to be highly productive irrigation farms. THEN do all this from Lithgow to Dunnidoo and again out at Gunnadah and you might get an idea of the scale of the destruction. If we do none of this we will still be the biggest coal export port in the world and still produce more that 4 times the amount of coal we can burn in out power stations. The no electricity excuse doesn't stand up.

Hi Intouch, do you think Coalminers are the only workers that have Guts, there are countless other jobs that require this, be honest you are only after the overpayed and dumb job.

From the leaking Dartbrook Mine at Aberdeen down the Hunter River Valley to Newcastle there are long stages of the Hunter River where most of the Rich Alluvial Irrigation farms are owned by Coal Companies. These are not part of mining leases they were just "aquired" to provide water security to these Mines. The water is no longer used to grow crops but to spray around in an attempt to control dust or for coal washing processes. This river running through this rich agricultural area is now reduced to providing water security to mines that exist to provide energy security to foreign countries. How do we recover our water and agricultural resources from these foreign multinational companies, will they ever again produce food, will they ever return to being family owned farms or will this water & Alluvial lands just be lost to the national estate of productive farmland for ever. When you consider that Dartbrook Mine is closed but still leaks an undetermined amount of water from the Hunter River into it's underground workings and also retains water licences "aquired" to use in coal process you must ask who made the caclulation on Short term profit V's permanent damage.

P.S. When the recent drought was in full swing the Farmers had their water usage cut to 8% of their allocation. The mines though had no cut to their allocations so were allowed to pump their full water allocations. The pressure and stress placed on Farmers to pay their bills and survive with no water to produce anything was disgusting. This didn't concern our State Government as they were only interested in protecting their Coal Royalties. With the ever increasing loss of these alluvial irrigation farms to become Mine Water supplies there will also be an increase of pressure in droughts to deliver full licence allocations to Mines in turn placing even more stress on the last remaining farmers to live with less than 8%. The state Government seems to be preoccupied with being seen to be green by creating parks & clean space to preserve animals & fish. But they are more than happy to sell of other people's property and national water & land assets in the way of farms & farming communities to International King Coal. All these and other issues must be set right starting with a Moratorium of the approval of any more Coal Mine licences by our own Government who want royalties.

stop the mines and then there is no coal for power stations and steel making... SO.. lets all get used to using the power for 5 mins a day, and driving plastic cars... oppps you need petroluem for plastic... but at least it's not in my backyard ?? get over it the mines... they make all of you more weathly even if you don't work in them..