The Rylstone community came together on Saturday, November 6 with a ute and vehicle muster to highlight its ongoing opposition to opening the surrounding area to coal exploration.

The Hawkins area is approximately 26 kilometres east of Mudgee and north of Rylstone; and the Rumker area is approximately 37 kilometres south-east of Mudgee and north-east of Rylstone. The Hawkins project would approach the area where the Lue Silver Project is currently. Collectively the exploration is known as Hawkins-Rumker.

Darren Baguley from the Rylstone Region Coal Free Community (RRCFC) said those who oppose the proposal were buoyed last week to hear new NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole say he was opposed to sacrificing the 32,700 hectare land parcel during Budget Estimates.

"I take that view because of what I've seen already shows that there are issues around commerciality of the project and also there are social issues around the project," he said.

"This still fits in line with our government's commitment to the future of coal statement, acknowledging that coal needs to be put into those areas that are appropriate. But, I can tell you now, I'll be taking a proposal to my colleagues to rule it out."

RRCFC spokesperson Janet Walk said the government will have a fight on its hands if it ignores the community.

"John Barilaro, put this beautiful region at risk by foolishly opening it up to coal exploitation, and is no longer Deputy Premier. His replacement, our local member Paul Toole, has recognised this does not stack up commercially and there is no social licence locally," she said.

"We are mustering to let the Perrottet Government know it will have a massive fight on its hands if it ignores our local member and ignores the community to continue down the path Barilaro tried to sentence us to. The Rylstone region has thriving agriculture, artisanal produce, tourism, and hospitality industries.

"There is a nascent arts scene and agri-tourism is only just getting started. All these industries will be destroyed if this region is opened up for coal exploration."

"We've lost so many of the stories through all the colonisation process... If you dig up that over there, it affects everyone," Wiradjuri Elder, Peter Swain said. "These kinds of developments are an assault on every aspect of identity and wellbeing.

"I have watched the destruction and damage to Country in the region and the trauma it has caused our people and I don't want to see that damage here. It is enough. Enough is enough.

The community is now calling on the government to formally scrap the three coal release land parcels as soon as possible to end uncertainty.

The call comes after a report by EarthScapes Consulting, commissioned by anti-mining lobby group Lock the Gate Alliance, in June found 45 Aboriginal heritage sites that sat within the three sites.

The report also found 22 threatened fauna species and six threatened flora species including the koala, the critically endangered regent honeyeater and the endangered spotted-tailed quoll.

Community feedback recently revealed overwhelming hostility to the government's plan, with 2048 of a total of 2064 formal submission lodged opposed to sacrificing the farming and tourism focused region to coal.

Bylong Valley Protection Agency (BPVA) President, Phil Kennedy said an exploration license would be a death sentence for the area.

"Allowing an exploration licence leads to uncertainty which has a chilling effect on the local economy; companies will not invest if they fear the area will be destroyed by the development of a mine. A leading cattle stud owner in the Bylong has not invested in his business for more than 10 years," he said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: