These politicians approve longwall mining licences which pollute our atmosphere,
damage our rivers, water catchments and homes

Longwall Mining links

Georges River Macarthur

General longwall mining

• longwall mining process - damage, cause and effects
• backstow - mining subsidence - backstow reduces surface damage, our politicians don't legislate for it
• Cataract river - Cataract river during the seventies
• Georges river dyeing - Georges river greatly reduced water levels
• Iluka Creek - Iluka Swamp - Iluka Creek, Iluka Swamp, Georges River catchment
• Macarthur's rivers - Bargo, Georges, Cataract rivers - Broughton Pass Dam, Marhnys Hole, Appin
• Mine subsidence - mine subsidence in the Upper Nepean river catchment
• Georges River photographs - photographs of 7 km downstream of Freres Crossing
• Stokes Creek Wedderburn - Stokes Creek, Wedderburn, Georges River, Campbelltown
• Wedderburn - Wedderburns rivers, creeks and properties
• Wedderburn gorge - Wedderburn gorge, Georges River catchment, environmental damage
• Woolwash - The Woolwash junction with O'Hares creek Wedderburn - Minto
• O'Hares - Iluka - Georges River, O'Hares Creek, Dharawal State Recreation Area, Iluka Creek, Iluka Swamp, Maddens Creek.
• O'Hares - Wedderburn - Georges River, O'Hares Creek, Campbelltown, Wedderburn.
• Dharawal State Recreation Area - Georges River, O'Hares Creek, Darkes Forest.

• gr_punchbowl_kentlyn - Punchbowl Creek at the Basin Georges River NSW
• broken promises - longwall mining - deceit, denial and broken promises
• Cost clean coal - Clean coal, is it too costly to consider
• Longwall Mining - Global Climate Change, letter to Kevin Rudd, Prime minister Australia
• The hidden costs of clean coal - The environmental and human disaster of longwall mining - Multimedia from The Center for Public Integrity Washington DC. Video filmed in the mine and the effects above ground.
• BHP Billiton environmental damage - BHP Billiton, Fly river, Ok Tedi river, copper mines, Irian Jaya, Barrow Island, deforestation Indonesia, environmental damage, longwall mining
• BHP Billiton misinformation - BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal - Rio Tinto misinformation and the publics wrong impression of mining
• Politicians and approvals - These politicians approve longwall mining licences which pollutes our atmosphere, damages our rivers, water catchments and your homes
• Mine subsidence - longwall mining and its impact on water resources
• When longwall mining comes to your town - When longwall mining comes to your town, your home is in the hands of the mining company- from the US and applies here in Australia

Click on the light - The price we pay

The air we breath, global warming, cracked river beds, water catchments, houses, bridges, roads, ecosystems, the extinction of flora and fauna

Kevin Rudd has been overseas selling his Carbon Capture and Clean Coal to foreign governments. Australian governments in the past have lobbied foreign governments on behalf of the mining industry. They have attempted to gain authorisation for Australian companies to mine in ecologically sensitive areas.

Rest assured, by the time you come to vote at the next election, another river may have gone, more homes may become unlivable. Your drinking water may be a little more polluted, the planets temperature may be a little hotter or another animal species may have become extinct.

If Australian governments past and present required mining companies to fill in the mined areas behind them (backstow) the damage would be dramatically reduced. It is compulsory in Europe but considered too expensive here in Australia.

Example - Sagging Streams

Now the spring that had supplied their water has dried up, and RAG's planned earthquake has badly damaged the house. "Every house on Laurel Run Road is damaged," declares Ehmann. "Walls have cracked. Doors don't open or won't close. On some of the houses you can set a marble on the floor and it will roll to one side. Water supplies have disappeared." Under a settlement forced by Ehmann RAG is restoring the Williams' farmhouse, but it can't do much about the missing spring and brook.

What's more, if coal companies would "backstow"--i.e., fill the cavities they create in the earth--most of the subsidence could be avoided. They could use their own longwall waste, dredge spoil, "overburden" from their strip mines which they currently dump onto headwater streams, and even the right kind of municipal trash. But back stowing costs money, and because it's not required in the US, longwallers don't do it here.

European countries are not so permissive. In Germany, where back stowing is mandatory,
Consol and RAG--both German firms--have no trouble with it

Sagging Streams author Ted Williams

In Wollondilly Shire our own Labour party MP - NSW Minister for Water Mr Phillip Costa - authorises the worlds most destructive industry, the mining industry to destroy our river catchments - Georges, Cataract, Nepean, Woronora and the Waratah Rivulet on the Woronora Plateau. All these rivers with the exception of georges are part of the Sydney water supply. This is despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary from the governments own watchdogs.

We have written to Mr Costa in his role as the MP for Wollondilly and as Water Minister on more than one occasion but he chooses not to answer.

Australian Government collusion and hypocrisy

Whilst ever NSW is controlled by a totally incompetent, intellectually and morally bankrupt government like the present Labour government there will be no changes. The Kevin Rudd led Australian Federal government has spoken in the past about alternative forms of energy but doesn't support it with their actions. Kevin has broken all the environmental promises he made which influenced us to vote for him!

Responsible Federal and NSW State Politicians

Why isn't it compulsory for mining companies to fill in behind their longwall machinery Mr Rees?

Below is a list of current Australian politicians who directly or indirectly authorise and approve BHP Billiton, Illawarra Coal and their mining industry colleagues to continue their destructive activities in the Australia environment.

These politicians display absolute contempt for Australia, its people, its flora and fauna by not legislating and enforcing the backstow method.

Carmel Tebbut - Ian MacDonald - Penny Wong - Peter Garrett - Pat Farmer - Phil Costa

Department of the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
John Gorton Building Environment Entrance
King Edward Terrace
Parkes ACT 2600
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
Phone: (02) 6274 1111
Email: communications@environment.gov.au

Department of Climate Change
2 Constitution Avenue
CANBERRA ACT 2600
GPO Box 854
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Phone: (02) 6274 1888
Email: communications@climatechange.gov.au

Additional contacts