Wilderness is not protected

Australia is globally significant for its large intact natural landscapes, yet due to political indifference even the wilderness in our national parks and reserves remain at risk.

Only two weeks ago there was the NSW Planning Assessment Commission held a public hearing at Appin south of Sydney into the largest underground coal mining yet proposed in Australia. If approved two longwall mines could then operate in an area that covers from Picton north to the Holsworthy Military Area, east to the Woronora and Metropolitan Catchment Areas and into the Dharawal State Conservation Area.

Forty-seven rivers and streams, 226 pristine swamps, 661 cliff lines and 623 Aboriginal heritage sites are put at risk by this proposal.

Yet BHP Billiton and all government departments did not make any presentations at the Commission’s public hearings. The local communities of south-west Sydney, and pristine public reserves and drinking water catchments impacted by this proposal at least deserve a public presentation of issues and concerns.

Of course, the experts conduct discussions with the Commissioners behind closed doors who will, no doubt, approve this project, because the NSW Government is out of money, not water, and this project offers 30 years of mining royalties.

So who cares about the capacity of pristine drinking water catchments and reserves to collect and transmit water? The integrity of pristine nature was not even considered in the 20,000-page environmental assessment. In response to the sensitivity of the area proposed for mining, this mining proposal is 25 per cent more intense than all previous operations, as its longwall panels are much wider.

So when you ask whether we can afford wilderness or to protect reserves, you better add in democratic processes in there as well, for the stakes are going up. And when Sydney has its essential water supplies polluted and diminished by coal mining, then prosperity will have its answer, which will be that it needs these areas, only their reply will be too late in coming. And therein lies the rub.