Residents and businesses are being given a final say, on controversial plans for a Hunter mine.
The Mount Thorley Warkworth extension is the subject of a two-day Planning Assessment Commission hearing at Singleton.
Five years, a court case, and now, a third Planning Assessment Commission hearing.
The approval process for the Mount Thorley Warkworth extension has been anything but straightforward.
“We don’t want them coming in here, devastating our valley, and then just clearing back off to England, made the money, and leaving the damage to us.”
This hearing is the last chance for opponents to have their voices heard before the PAC decides the project’s fate.
Younger residents are among the most passionate – 19-year-old Vahid Roser is a Bulga local with a strong connection to the historic town.
On the other side, young Singleton mineworkers, who are among the 1,300 whose jobs hinge on the project.
Just last month, the state government recommended the 21-year mine extension be approved.
One of the main reasons – the economic benefit.
Last year alone, Rio Tinto says it spent one hundred and fifty four million dollars with more than one hundred and fifty suppliers in the Upper Hunter.
The hearing continues tomorrow.
