Action: Activists close down coal rail project in the Hunter Valley

In a third big day of action against coal expansion through NSW, activists have today closed down a coal haulage railway construction site at Rutherford in the Hunter Valley.

“This railway construction project is designed purely for the benefit of coal corporations, yet it is being paid for with taxpayers money,” said Steve Phillips, spokesperson for protest organisers Rising Tide.

Here is the latest (scroll down for photos):

Media Release 5 September 2012
Activists close down coal rail project

Activists have closed down a coal haulage railway construction project in the NSW Hunter Valley, to protest the rapid expansion of the export coal industry and its impacts on public health and the environment.

Activists arrived at the Hunter 8 Alliance construction compound at Rutherford before dawn this morning, erecting a wooden tripod to prevent access to the site. An activist is perched on the tripod, 10 metres over the gateway to the site, refusing to move.

Steve Phillips, spokesperson for protest organisers Rising Tide, said: “This railway construction project is designed purely for the benefit of coal corporations, yet it is being paid for with taxpayers money.”

“Why are taxpayers dollars being handed over to rich mining corporations, in order to prop up a polluting industry that is destroying human health and the environment?”

“There is a coal rush under way in NSW, and public health, waterways, ecosystems, and the global climate are under assault. Massive coal mine projects, coal haulage projects, and coal port projects are in the pipeline. If all these projects go ahead, the consequences will be devastating.”

Today’s protest follows two consecutive days of community direct action against the Boggabri mine in the Gunnedah Basin – the coal industry’s “new frontier”. A major expansion of the Boggabri coal mine was approved by the NSW Government in July despite huge ecological impacts and overwhelming community opposition.

“We call on State and Federal Governments to abandon their infatuation with mining companies, and their addiction to fossil fuels. It’s time to take a stand and stop this coal rush before it’s too late.”

Key facts

• The Maitland to Minimbah Third Track project is being constructed by Hunter 8 Alliance, which is a consortium of engineering company GHD, construction company John Holland, and the Federally owned Australian Rail Track Corporation.
• The objective of the project is to lift coal haulage capacity on the Hunter rail corridor to 200 million tonnes per annum. It includes construction of 23km of new rail track, and reconditioning of 9km of existing track.
• The Federal Government granted $114 million, through the ARTC, to the project.

The protest is taking place on Gardiner Street, Rutherford, and is publicly accessible. Photos and video will be uploaded to: http://www.mediafire.com/?cntqn5bdy5s1e

Update, 11:41am:

Police Rescue officers have used a cherry-picker to remove an activist from a 10-metre high tripod, at a coal protest in the NSW Hunter Valley.

Photos and video are available at http://www.mediafire.com/?cntqn5bdy5s1e

Activists entered the Hunter 8 Alliance construction compound at Rutherford before dawn today, erecting a wooden tripod to prevent access to the site, which is part of a Federally funded project to increase coal haulage capacity in the Hunter Valley. Activist Ned Haughton scaled the 10 metre high structure, where he remained for the next five and a half hours. Haughton has now been arrested and taken into custody to be charged with obstruction.

Protest organisers Rising Tide carried out the blockade to protest Federal Government support for the rapid expansion of the highly destructive coal mining industry.

This comes after two previous actions this week: two activists scaled a coal-crusher at Boggabri coal mine in Leard State Forest on Monday, and yesterday, at the same open-cut coal mine, 84 year old birdwatcher Russ Watts chained himself to the gates of the mine – both actions shut down coal truck movements in protest of the rapid and massive expansion of the open-cut coal mines in the state’s north west.

Photos of the action at the coal haulage railway construction project in the Hunter Valley: