After fighting off the AGL Coal Seam Gas project, community group Groundswell Gloucester has reaffirmed its opposition to the proposed Rocky Hill coal mine, as public submissions on the project closed.

Groundswell Gloucester handed more than 1050 community submissions against the project to the Department of Environment and Planning on Friday, October 14.

“We’ve shown our strength as a community in standing up for our land and water against coal seam gas and I’m confident we’ll be able to work together to protect our community’s health and tourism industry from this damaging coal mine,” Groundswell Gloucester chair Julie Lyford said

Ms Lyford explained how the submissions highlight that the proposed mine is less than one kilometre from the Forbesdale estate and within five kilometres of Gloucester’s schools, hospital and most of its residential homes. 

“This is no place for a coal mine. It’s unacceptable for our community to be put at risk of particulate pollution from open-cut mining, which is known to lead to reduced respiratory health and increased death rates in surrounding communities.

“Gloucester has a thriving $50 million tourism industry and protecting its sustainability along with the health of our community, is worth far more than the dubious economic claims being made by the mine’s proponents.

“Simply putting conditions on the mine will not be enough to protect our community, which has no reason to trust conditions will be complied with, based on past experience in Gloucester and the Hunter Valley of conditions, such as night-time work hours, being changed.

“The only acceptable outcome is for the State government to reject this damaging project outright.”