Last night Nine news ran an important story about how one farmer has ended up in court in a last-bid attempt to keep a coal mining company off his cattle farming property.
Nine reporter Kevin Wilde explains that Ian Moore, 62, is a farmer who is “now legally blind having lost his sight progressively since the age of 8.”
“He can farm his land because he knows it, even though he only sees shadows, a new farm is simply out of the question,” says Wilde in the report.
The report explains: “Since the 1840s his family has farmed in the Singleton area, for the last half a century right here at Appletree flat. [Ian Moore] raises cattle that ends up as high quality steaks on many Sydney dinner tables.”
Watch the Nine News report here.
The Land ran a story about Mr Moore and his wife Robyn on August 16 which explains the situation in greater detail, here is an excerpt:
[...]Meanwhile, Nucoal has forced Appletree Flat farmers, Ian and Robyn Moore, “Strathmore”, into arbitration over access.
Mr Moore, whose property is behind Coolmore, has denied Nucoal access onto his 182ha cattle-finishing and lucerne production farm for more than a year, and has now engaged lawyer, Peter Long, of Slater and Gordon, who was instrumental in the Caroona BHP battle.
“Like the studs, we have never agreed to let them on our property yet they have only taken us to court. It looks like they want to pick on the little people,” Mr Moore said.
Nucoal managing director, Glen Lewis, denied Nucoal was taking a more aggressive approach with smaller landholders such as Mr Moore, while steering clear of well-resourced multinational Thoroughbred operations.
“Darley have no land in the EL area and we are continuing with Coolmore using the legal process that is in place in NSW to negotiate land access agreements,” he said.
Commenting on the legal action against Mr Moore, he said, “I have always said I would prefer to negotiate access agreements rather than have them arbitrated, but unfortunately not all landholders are prepared to negotiate”.
NSW Resources and Energy Minister, Chris Hartcher, confirmed the Nucoal EL – controversially approved by former Primary Industries and Mining Minister, Ian Macdonald, in December 2008 – was part of a statewide audit of ELs with a report expected in November.
The Moores welcomed the announcement last Friday by the Government that it is currently undertaking an audit into the granting of the Doyle Creek Mine exploration licence.
Through their solicitor, they have this week sought confirmation from Mr Hartcher that Nucoal should be restrained from entering their land until after the findings of the audit have been completed and publicly released.
The granting of the licence has already been the subject of a internal review by the former Labor Government.
Mr Moore’s solicitor, Peter Long, said he had represented some 60 farmers in similar situations and it was always stressful for them.
“In this case, there is a specific inquiry into the granting of that particular licence and Ian and Robyn Moore have raised with the government their serious concerns as to the granting of that licence,” he said.
“I have written to the Minister (for Resources, Chris Hartcher) seeking his confirmation that this legal process will be stood over until the audit of this exploration licence is completed and publicly released.”
As Nine’s Wilde points out in his report, the problems around land access negotiations are not isolated to Ian and Robyn’s property, “in fact more than 60% of NSW is open for mining exploration,” he says.
Following Nine’s report, Josephine Tovey ran a story in SMH on 11 October:
Mr Moore is worried about possible subsidence from the mining and the impact on his water supply. He will also ask the court to consider his vision impairment, which he says makes any intrusion onto his land problematic – and moving to another farm impossible. ”I live on memory,” he says. ”I know this place backwards.”
He says his stance is about more than just his farm. ”It’s about the future of agriculture in this country.”
He has been negotiating with NuCoal since July last year, with two hearings with an arbitrator finding in favour of the company. Twenty-six other landholders have allowed the company access, with 38 holes drilled. Farmers receive $400 a week per drill rig. At one meeting the Moores sought $50,000 a hole, which was rejected.
In August, the Moores took the final step of legal action, beginning in the Land and Environment Court. The case has been adjourned until November 29 to allow the Moores to compile expert evidence.
Image by Mick Stanic.
Ahem, Kate, Ian Moore may have been losing his sight, not his site, since the age of 8,
although he may be about to lose the latter at the age of 62
Right you are, thanks Denise! Fixed now (my stuff-up, that is, not Mr Moore’s sight or site, sadly).