Shenhua Watermark coal mine

The Shenhua Watermark coal mine is a proposed coal mine in the Liverpool Plains of New South Wales, Australia.

Shenhua Watermark coal mine
Location
Shenhua Watermark
Location in Australia
LocationBreeza
StateNew South Wales
CountryAustralia
Coordinates31°15′00″S 150°28′00″E
Production
ProductsCoal
Owner
CompanyShenhua Group

The project is located approximately 25 km south-east of the town of Gunnedah, near the village of Breeza and carried out by state-owned Chinese mining company Shenhua Group. Coal is to be shipped through the port of Newcastle.

The project is controversial because of the location in the Liverpool Plains, a primary agricultural region of Australia. It is named after the nearby Mount Watermark.

Project

The project commenced in 2008 with the granting of an exploration licence, at the cost of A$300 million.[1]

The project, valued at A$1 billion, once operational, is expected to extract 10 million tonnes of coal per year and have a 30-year live span. It has been controversial because of its location, the Liverpool Plains, often described as the food bowl of Australia. It will cover 35 square kilometres and consist of three large extraction pits.[2]

The project was conditionally approved by Federal Environmental Minister Greg Hunt but this approval was severely criticised by Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce who was also the local MP for the area. Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott pointed out that the mine is not located on fertile soil but rather on hill country.[2]

The mine is expected to destroy almost 800 hectares of an endangered ecological community, mostly box-gum woodland as well as other woods.[3] Local farmers in the region have threatened legal action and civil disobedience against the mine should the project go ahead, calling the mine "agricultural genocide".[4]

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References
  1. Explainer: Shenhua's Watermark coal mine in the Liverpool Plains in NSW Australian Broadcasting Corporation, accessed: 13 July 2015
  2. The coal mine in NSW farmland that no one wants to claim responsibility for approving news.com.au, published: 11 July 2015, accessed: 13 July 2015
  3. Giant Shenhua Watermark coal mine wins federal approval from Environment Minister Greg Hunt The Sydney Morning Herald, published: 8 July 2015, accessed: 13 July 2015
  4. Liverpool Plains farmers threaten legal action to stop Shenhua Watermark mine's 'agricultural genocide' Australian Broadcasting Corporation, published: 14 July 2015, accessed: 14 July 2015
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