With just a few days remaining to make submissions about the proposed Rocky Hill coal mine, protesters have again walked the streets of Gloucester on Saturday, October 8.
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The walkers were buoyed by fresh news that MidCoast Council is recommending against supporting the controversial open-cut coal mine proposal. The recommendation is to be tabled at an extraordinary meeting of MidCoast Council on 12 October 2016, just days before submission close.
The protest walk was jointly hosted by the community groups Protect Gloucester, Groundswell Gloucester and the colourful Knitting Nannas. The walkers had a clear message to observers: they believe the Rocky Hill coal mine next to the Forbesdale residential estate will be too close to the town.
Groundswell Gloucester’s Julie Lyford is pleased with the support shown by recent visitors to Gloucester.
“The town was bursting with tourists over the school holidays and we’ve collected hundreds of submissions and signatures from them. They were all horrified at the proposal to build this awful coal mine just 0.9km from Gloucester backyards.”
“Everyone here is relieved that the new MidCoast Council has come to the same conclusion as the previous Gloucester Council and has provided 28 reasons to reject Rocky Hill coal mine.“
“The majority of the Gloucester community are against it. Friends and family are against it. Tourists are against it. Downstream neighbours are against it. The previous Gloucester Council was against it. Now the new MidCoast Council is against it. Will the NSW government swim against this tide for a few measly short-term dollars? When will this government ever listen to its people?”