The fight to save Anvil Hill near Wybong, NSW, from being mined by Centennial Coal involved thousands of people from near and far. We wanted to draw a line in the sand here at this scenically biodiverse ‘Ark of the Hunter’ and say ‘No new coal’.
We lost to King Coal and the NSW Planning Minister.
At the time, Muswellbrook and Denman mainly supported the Anvil Hill mine; perhaps they believed what the coal companies promised??!!!
Sold to Xstrata, who renamed it Xstrata Mangoola, and are now proceeding to ‘develop’ the site, it will destroy 100 square kilometres of the Wybong Valley. It has already got rid of 300 of the 500 residents.
Wybong, like its larger neighbour, Denman, is an area of farms large and small, vineyards and horse studs. Now the coal companies, showing their usual greediness, want three new mines in this area.
Xstrata Ridgeland is next to Mangoola: that should clear out the remaining Wybong community. And now there are the Spur and Yarrawa, threatening closer to Denman.
Coal companies are good at ‘divide and conquer’. I hope this time the landowners stick together — as at Caroona — and say NO to the transformation of the Upper Hunter Valley into continuous mega dust pits and dust mountains.
The Wybong Action Group is certainly trying to make that ‘NO’ be loud and strong. They have my support and their website will now be a permanent link on mine.
Dear Emma,
I am so very sorry about the tragically premature and totally avoidable death of your father. Yes the corporate attitude to whomever and whatever is in their way ranges from indifferent to callous, and it seems universal.
I assume you have been in touch with John Shewan of WAG who has gathered such a lot of info re this Wybong road debacle?
my name is Emma Patten and I Am the daughter of David Patten who was killed 3 years ago on Wybong Road.You have mentioned my fathers death in your book and I am really glad someone else is speaking out because I feel like I am talking to a brick wall.These big hot shot mining companies don’t care about the people that are left behind after such tradgedy I have tried my hardest to get the road fixed but hopefully your voice is louder and can accomplish what I haven’t been able to do.i want Wybong road fixed so no other family has to endure the pain and suffering my family has had to deal with and I felt I had to at least get the road fixed so my father didn’t die in vain I pray to god every day that this will be accomplished
Hi John,
We can only hope – and keep fighting – for sanity and a sense of proportion in values to prevail. Words are all I have, but the knowledge that so many people like yourself will not give up give me the heart to keep writing the truth about coal.
Best wishes
Sharyn
Hello Sharyn,
many thanks for the WAG weblink and the support. Many thanks also to your contributors for their sentiments. We all hope for a cessation of the endless Upper Hunter Open Cut Pits of Doom and with such growing sentiment against the foul coal operations, individual and group efforts we may yet see their scourge lifted. Perhaps then the Upper Hunter Valley can be transformed into the recreated Greater Eastern Ranges and the landforms again come to resemble those of the Mountain. As they should be. An ongoing refuge for man, beast plant, flower and Creation.
Thanks again Sharyn. Best wishes for 2010 & beyond.
John Shewan
President, Wybong Action Group.
Thanks Laura– and good luck with stopping that tower!
Yes I agree Sharyn, it is up us the people to say NO loud and clear. There is a proposed mobile phone tower to be erected in our local park in Berkeley Vale right near the nursing home, hospital, retirement village, day care centre, scout hall and our homes. And the laws give them the right to just march right in and do it! 300 people have signed a petition and said NO. Good luck with protecting such a beautiful area.
Well said, Jenny! I do see the ‘NO’ movement building. We just have to ensure the politicians can’t ignore the message; we have to bombard them with letters and emails, directly and via the papers.
And don’t give up action– or hope of its success.
People Power must prevail. We must join forces and say ‘no’ to those things that we know to be destructive to our present well-being and that of future generations. We must be sure that the dog (we the people) will ‘WAG’ the tail (the coal companies). Not the other way around.
Jenny, Upper Hunter.