Power plan exposes environment cuts

Date: 11 November 2004

The State Government's admission that NSW will be getting a new 500 megawatt coal-fired power station has again highlighted widespread community concerns about the environmental impact and ecological sustainability of coal mining.

While the location of the new private sector funded power station is yet to be announced, the coal-rich Hunter Valley is a likely choice. In the Hunter, sixteen years ago there were about 320 square kilometers of mining affected land, but today this has grown to over 520 square kilometers. Despite this growth, State Government cut-backs to the environment budget are actually reducing environmental policing of the coal industry.

Commenting on the potential implications, Steve Turner, Public Service Association Assistant General Secretary, said. "The new power stations will drive expansion in the size and impact of coal mining, yet the NSW Department of Environment & Conservation is actually abandoning direct regulation of the industry in the Hunter Valley"

The Department is closing its district office in Muswellbrook and the departmental restructure is seeing the exit of senior officers with coal mining experience. "

These losses will result in delays in responding to pollution incidents, abandonment of site inspections, and overall less active regulation.

"Further cutbacks to DEC's laboratories, legal departments and environmental science sections signal a reduction in enforcement activities, especially investigation and prosecution of environmental offences." Mr Turner said.

Staff and unions say that as a result of the cuts, industry can no longer be effectively regulated and the environment and people's health will suffer if the staff cuts and restructure proceed.

"Rigorous surveillance by officers with extensive coal mining and environmental experience will be replaced by so-called 'desktop' regulation based in the Newcastle office. The DEC will no longer have the capacity for direct and immediate response to environmental incidents and will be totally dependent on self-reporting by the industry', Mr Turner said.

These actions fly in the face of the Government's commitment to maintain effective and practical regulation of air, noise, water, wastes and hazardous chemicals throughout NSW.

For further information

Contact:	Stewart Little
Union:	Public Service Association of NSW
Phone:	9220 0928
Contact Mobile:	0418 610 792
Email:	slittle@psa.asn.au
WWW:	http://psa.labor.net.au/

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