Justice Nicola Pain in the Land and Environment Court has ruled that the environmental assessment of the Anvil Hill coal mine is not adequate, as it fails to address climate change.

See below for the HCEC media release on the ruling

Click here to see a short video of what will be lost if the Anvil Hill mine goes ahead

Link to other pages on this site about Anvil Hill and the case:

Background: Save Anvil Hill

September: News about the case launch

October: Controversial changes to the Planning Act rushed through by the State Government to thwart the case

November: State Government misleading the public about Planning law changes

November: Summary of submissions to the Anvil Hill environmental assessment

Summary of the legal and political implications of the court ruling

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Media Release 27th November, 2006

Environmental Victory in Anvil Hill Court Case

On the afternoon of the 27th November, Justice Nicola Pain made the historic decision to set aside the Director-General’s acceptance of the Environmental Assessment for the Anvil Hill coal mine, on the grounds that it did not include a comprehensive greenhouse gas assessment.

This Decision will have the effect of putting the NSW Government on notice that all future development applications must include the assessment of all greenhouse emissions resulting from Major Projects.

“This is a turning point in the campaign against greenhouse polluting industries,” said Paul Winn of the Hunter Community Environment Centre, “and a victory for common sense and the planet.”

Centennial Coal, proponent of the Anvil hill coal mine, may now have to rewrite their environmental assessment to comply with this decision, assessing the impact of greenhouse pollution from coal dug at the mine on the NSW environment.

The Anvil Hill Alliance will meet Planning Minister, Frank Sartor in Muswellbrook to discuss the future of the mine proposal.

Link to the Anvil Hill Alliance