A special concert will be held in Bylong next month to help the local farming community, as a decision on the proposed mine looms.
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The Bylong coal project is currently being assessed by the NSW Independent Planning Commission, and a decision could be made at any time.
Organisers are expecting a crowd of hundreds for the performance by country music stars Sara and Greg Storer. Along with the open-air concert - to be held at the Bylong campground, opposite the General Store - the event also includes tours and information about the agriculture, beauty and heritage of the valley.
"Farming is hard work and a gamble a lot of the time, so why the powers that be want to make the odds even longer for people on the land and in our farming communities by jeopardising our precious water resources is baffling," Greg said.
The proposal is for a combined open cut and underground mine that would produce 6.5 million tonnes of thermal coal for the export market. Concerns have been raised that, if approved, the project will have a negative effect on high quality farmland, underground water aquifers, and the adjacent Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.
"We're looking forward to welcoming the Storers and hundreds of people from across NSW to Bylong and showing them why this valley is too precious to plunder for coal," Phill Kennedy, Bylong sheep farmer, said.
The event will be held on Sunday, July 7, 2019, with the concert starting at 1pm.
