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Minister for Mines and Energy, Chris Hartcher, fails to reply to the email below. EVEN HIS OLD SCHOOLMATES CAN’T GET HIS ATTENTION TO ADDRESS SOCIAL INEQUITIES.

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Gidday Chris Hartcher, Minister for Mines and Energy (email 15 Sept 2011)

Bluey Curtis (OR 63) here!

I am about to go out to Boggabri to consult with the community about the open-cut coal mine at the southern end of Leard State Forest. Their concerns are many, and some revolve about the lack of any forseeable ‘net’ benefit to the community, or the environment.

The coal mine impacts on the environment in many ways as well, not the least being destruction of a critically endangered ecological community (grassy box/Blakeleys red gum woodland). I spent years trying to acquire examples of this on behalf of the Nature Conservation Trust of NSW, and am now shocked that our activities then are so under valued now, although the NCT did get NSW Govt financial support for operating costs under labor.

Of more concern, is that of the mining companies involved, some are wholly foreign-owned, and the others 90% foreign-owned.

There are many contradictions here, namely, a few:
How can the NSW Govt allow foreign companies to destroy an EEC for the benefit of a few, while many conservationists are currently going out of their way to conserve it. This type of activity makes the CAR Reserve System, and the EPBC Act, look an empty promise (and a waste of time)?
Why are the net benefits to the local community not properly explained and made sufficiently equitable to remove the opposition to the proposal?
Why is the underground mining option not explored fully, as a means to preserve the majority of the EEC?
How can a State Liberal Govt condone the destruction of an EEC, just to mine COAL, while the Federal Labor Govt is determined to tax us for burning it?
Where is the equity for all Australians in such proposals, where only the taxing laws produce a return on minerals extracted, which belong to us anyway?
I’ll be happy to come and have a chat with you at your Erina offices (I am at Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury), anytime suitable. Or perhaps get back to me with some comments before I go to Boggabri.

The 45th anniversary of the ’63 class was a top turnout, such that I don’t think I got to have a personal chat with you, BUT, believe it or not, the 50th is only two years away.

Best wishes,

Dr Ian Curtis
Land & Ecological Economist, Environmental Scientist

Curtis NRA Australia
Valuing and internalising the negative externalities of land use change

P: 0429 469081 | E: ian@curtisnra.com.au | W: http://www.curtisnra.com.au

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