EXPOSED: Progress association spokesman John Krey on his land, with Saddleback Ridge beyond. – Picture by Peter Stoop
MINING giant Coal & Allied has applied to remove an Upper Hunter landform originally earmarked for conservation.
Saddleback Ridge is home to endangered animal and plant species and forms a natural buffer between the Mount Thorley Warkworth mine and the village of Bulga.
While the company acknowledges it ‘‘previously stated [the ridge] would not be mined’’, big increases in coal prices have ‘‘fundamentally changed’’ its view of the area.
‘‘It has become economic to mine and, in addition to creating 150 new jobs, this will provide ongoing employment for our existing workforce ... of more than 1300 people,’’ a Coal & Allied spokesman said.
Nearby residents, such as Bulga Milbrodale Progress Association spokesman John Krey, argue the ridge is protected under a 2003 deed of agreement with the then-minister assisting the minister for planning Diane Beamer.
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Newcastle Herald
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