SHORTLY after the first grain of gold was discovered in Australia in 1851, prospectors inundated Mudgee, papering the landscape with their tents.
Now, 160 years on, as the town 265km northwest of Sydney prepares to almost double its size in five years because of the mining boom, that image presages the ungainly expansion locals want to avoid.
"This is just a juggernaut -- it's just, bang, hit us," local winemaker David Lowe said.
The area's four existing coalmines are all set for major expansion; a fifth is under construction. Four more coalmines, a silver mine, two windfarms and a gas-fired power station are all planned to be operational nearby within five years.
The region's coal exports are predicted to rocket 400 per cent from 2006 levels by 2016.
The Australian
No comments:
Post a Comment