Ulan and Wollar residents have told a Land and Environment Court hearing of their fears for their villages as mining expands in the Mid-Western Region.
Former school teacher and local folk musician Bob Campbell gave a passionate speech at the hearing in Mudgee on June 10.
Speaking on the social effects of mining on local communities, Mr Campbell said the village of Ulan had been in decline since mining increased.
He said what he considered to be heritage houses had been bulldozed and churches had disappeared.
Mr Campbell also spoke about the declining community of the Ulan pub, particularly as a place for musicians to perform.
He told the court an emotional story of losing a horse on the road near his property due to little respect shown by a mining contractor.
“I had my signs out to tell people animals were on the road and this contractor came flying past and hit my horse but because he was on such a rush to the mines he didn’t bother to stop and check if it was okay,” he said.
The former Red Hill Environment Education Centre principal also spoke about the state of the region’s roads and how many “older folk” feared being run off the road by coal trucks.
Mr Campbell then spoke of a local bus driver near the Ulan community who had seen his run decline in the last decade.
According to a letter given to Mr Campbell, the bus driver moved to the region several years ago and could not find a place for his child on the bus because there were no seats left.
The man later bought the Wyaldra to Ulan bus run and has since seen it drop from a full bus load to less than 10 children a day.
Mr Campbell argued there would be no opportunity to sell the bus driver’s business because no one would take up a run with five children and if the decline continued the mines would leave him jobless.
He also spoke about the loss of Gulgong Hospital and songs which he had written on the impact of the mines.
Wollar resident Lance Batey described the noise and dust from Ulan before Moolarben and Wilpinjong started and current sleep deprivation from noise levels.
The Land and Environment Court hearing was held as part of appeal by the Hunter Environment Lobby (HEL) against approval of expansion of the Ulan Mine.
Former National Parks and Wildlife worker and Mudgee resident Chris Pavich spoke from numerous examples published in the Mudgee Guardian showing the cumulative effects of mining.
Mr Pavich also raised the point more schools would be needed by mine expansion as current facilities could only cater for a certain number of students.
Mudgee District Environment Group’s Bev Smiles, who is also on the Community Consultative Committee (CCC) for the Ulan mine, praised the current environmental staff at the Ulan mine but said there were still many issues related to Goulburn River that had not been dealt with.
Certified Environmental Practitioner Ray Mjadwesch said he believed environmental reports on subsidence were not telling the whole story.
The final speaker was Mudgee resident Ian McAdam who spoke on the significant impacts of global warming and climate change and how the mines must produce strategies to better cope with greenhouse gas emissions.
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