Independent Planning Commission has refused the Hume Coal proposal for a Berrima Coal Mine

The Southern Highlands community is celebrating the decision to reject the $533 million development of the controversial Berrima Coal Mine.

After 11 years and 11 days, community groups are celebrating the Independent Planning Commission decision to refuse the controversial Berrima Coal Mine.

Hume Coal proposed to develop a $553 million coal mine in between Berrima and Moss Vale to extract an estimated 50 million tonnes of coal over 23 years. The company also planned to build a rail line to connect the mine to Port Kembla and transport the coal.

The Independent Planning Commission today handed down their final decision to refuse the proposed mine and railway following the recommendation in June from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment that the project was not in the public interest.

Michael Verberkt, spokesman for the community group Battle for Berrima, said he was “ecstatic” the Planning Commission had heard the concerns of the community.

“Sanity has prevailed,” he said.

“There was enormous community opposition to this mine and there has been for eleven years. It hasn’t faltered.”

For more than a decade, Southern Highlands community groups such as Battle for Berrima and Coal Free Southern Highlands have vigorously opposed the mine and its anticipated deleterious effects on the community, environment, and local economy.

Berrima is 2kms from the proposed mine site. Picture: Joanne Vella

“(The refusal) is a result that’s been obvious to a lot of people who live here - that this sort of industry is not conducive to the environment that we now live in,” Mr Verbekt said.

The Independent Planning Commission agreed the potential impacts of the mine “are too great to be reasonably managed, and the social risks to the community are high.”

The Commission’s reasons for refusal cited issues raised in last month’s public hearings, including the unacceptable groundwater impacts, risk to Sydney’s drinking water, and incompatibility with the local land uses.

“The Commission ultimately finds that the stated benefits of the Project do not outweigh the adverse environmental, social and economic impacts,” a statement read.

Paul Martin from Coal Free Southern Highlands said he’s relieved the long and unnecessary ordeal is over.

“This catastrophe has been going on for 11 years and 11 days,” he said.

“We shouldn’t have had to fight for so long against this coal mine which was always a crazy proposition from day one.”

Battle for Berrima community group has opposed the mine since it was first proposed. Picture: Facebook

However, Hume Coal Project Manager Rod Doyle said the project had undergone several iterations throughout the years to make it more acceptable to the public. He said he was surprised by the decision to refuse the mine.

“We are disappointed in the decision, disappointed we can’t proceed to bring 300 jobs to the Southern Highlands,” he said.

Mr Doyle said although the decision seems final, Hume Coal is not ruling out an appeal or a new proposal.

Public hearings

The Independent Planning Commission held two days of public hearings on July 12 and 13 to consider community feedback after receiving the recommendation to refuse the Hume Coal and associated Berrima Rail projects.

The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment announced on June 9 it had recommended the rejection of the coal mine after it determined “the site is not suitable for the mine, and the project is not in the public interest”.

The department noted the “strong and longstanding opposition to the project from the local and broader community and (Wingecarribee) council” when it judged the economic benefits would not outweigh the negative social and environmental impacts.

The Independent Planning Commission sought to gauge the community sentiment in the hearings to inform its decision on the fate of the proposed mine. 

The first day of the hearings featured 36 speakers from both sides and many impassioned arguments.

Wingecarribee Shire Council interim administrator, Viv May, told the commission the council had been concerned about the proposed mine since 2010 due to the “natural, rural and heritage appeal” of the Southern Highlands. In 2016, the council declared the region a ‘coal-free shire’.

“Council has adopted a policy of opposition to any new coal mining because of the concerns it has over potential impacts on groundwater, water catchments, agricultural land and tourism,” he said.

“This is the wrong region for a new coal mine.”

Mr May said any mine would have negative social effects, citing residents’ feelings of anxiety, fear, uncertainty and stress.

“The Hume Coal project has already taken a physical and mental toll on residents in the Shire,” he said.

Berrima is beloved for its heritage value, which residents say would be threatened by the Hume Coal mine.

Battle for Berrima spokesman Michael Verberkt said the estimated 300 jobs generated by the mine didn’t eclipse the 2300 local jobs generated by the 1.3 million tourists to the area.

Mr Verberkt said the organisation was “utterly opposed” to the coal mine and labelled the anticipated disruption to 94 local water bores as “unacceptable”.

“The people that live here have a real appreciation for what we all enjoy and we need to fight long and hard and loud to protect that,” he said.

“We’ve seen too many examples elsewhere in all of Australia where towns have been ruined by things like this and they never come back.”

While 97 per cent of the submissions previously received opposed to the mine, there was also support for the proposal.

Hume Coal project manager Rod Doyle called many of the department’s conclusions “wrong” and told the commission the number of water bores that would be affected by the coal mine was not “unprecedented” as “exaggerated” in the department’s report.

He refuted most of the criticisms in the reports, including the concern about the irreparable damage the mine would cause to the groundwater.

“Groundwater impacts are reversible and will recover,” he said.

Hume Coal spokesman Chris Kim agreed with Mr Doyle’s assertion the company had been treated unfairly.

“There is one rule for Hume Coal and another rule for everyone else,” he said.

Both sides appealed to the commission to consider the consequences of their decision, with Mr Doyle stating hundreds of jobs depended on their approval of the mine.

In contrast, Nic Clyde said the future of the country depended on their refusal.

“You, as commissioners, have a duty of care to protect people from mining emissions,” he told the commissioners.

Speaking to The Bowral News, Mr Verberkt said Battle for Berrima said past decisions were in their favour.

“It’s the second time the DPIE have said it shouldn’t be approved in the public interest,” he said.

“We’re feeling very confident.”