BHPB Ducks Public Accountability

Wednesday, 17 February 2010 15:13

BHP Billiton’s decision not to present at public hearings into its proposed massive coal mine expansion south of Sydney has provoked censure from environment groups today.

Two days of Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) public hearings into the proposed Bulli Seam Operations commenced this morning in Appin, south of Campbelltown. But there are now significant questions of procedural fairness hanging over the review.

“As Kristina Keneally said back in 2008, the PAC was formed to ‘deliver the NSW public more transparency, accountability and certainty about planning decisions,’” said David Burgess, from the Total Environment Centre. “It is astonishing that a mining company has been allowed to duck this public review process. Apparently BHP Billiton made a secret presentation to the NSW PAC last year. “

Forty-seven rivers and streams, two hundred and six upland swamps, six hundred and sixty-one cliff lines, and six hundred and twenty-three Aboriginal heritage sites sit within the mining area, which includes Sydney’s drinking water supply catchment, the iconic Dharawal State Conservation Area, and private land. The expansion will also see CO2 emissions increasing by 40% from current levels.

“While BHP Billiton and some government agencies were able to present in private some time ago,” said Burgess, “community, environment and indigenous group have been left to present in public with no redress. The NSW Government risks the accusation that it is weighted well in favour of the developers.”

Julie Sheppard of the Rivers SOS Alliance, said: “we were hopeful of hearing some answers to very real concerns we have about the mine. Apparently there is nothing in the regulations that obliges the company to appear at this stage of the Planning Process.”

Critical submissions to the PAC by several NSW Government agencies and three local councils were released on the PAC website earlier this week, revealing major concerns over numerous aspects of BHP Billiton’s Environmental Assessment on both environmental and economic grounds.

“Clearly there are massive holes in BHP Billiton Environmental Assessment,” said Burgess, “especially in terms of the damage mining will inflict on swamps, cliffs and river systems and the company’s promise that it can repair them.”

BHP Billiton’s apparent “behind closed doors” presentation to the PAC is particularly galling to the Southern Sydney Branch of the National Parks Association of NSW which had frequently requested that the PAC establish protocols that are fair to the community.

“BHP made a strategic decision that it could gain more concessions from the process,” said Gary Schoer, NPA’s Southern Sydney Branch secretary, “if it didn’t have to publicly justify the extraction of coal beneath many significant swamps and creeks of Dharawal State Conservation Area.”