WIDESPREAD protests across Narrabri and Gunnedah have hit Whitehaven Coal’s operations this morning.
About 150 activists have locked themselves on to gates and equipment at several mine sites, protesting against Whitehaven’s developing Maules Creek coal open cut coal mine in the Leard State Forest.
Spokesperson for the Leard Forest Alliance Helen War said the protesters are calling for an inquiry into the government’s approval of Maule’s Creek.
“The mine’s approval was flawed,” Ms War said.
“The offsets are not comparative and have been discredited by independent studies.
“We have seen donations from coal mines to political parties. Developer donations have been banned, and so should miners’.”
Whitehaven’s operations across the region have been targeted. Two people scaled a coal loader at Werris Creek mine and two others chained themselves to the access gate of the Gunnedah coal processing facility.
People were chained and locked on to block several coal mines, at Maules Creek, Werris Creek, Tarrawonga and Rocglen.
Police are attending the scene.
The protesters are claiming to have halted Whitehaven’s operations, but the company said such claims were overblown.
“There have been a number of protests this morning but the suggestion that they have ‘shut down’ all our operational and development sites is false and consistent with grandiose claims made about the impact of protests in the area generally,” a Whitehaven spokesperson said.
Mike Foley
Senior journalist for The Land.
Senior journalist for The Land.
