No new coal export terminal for Newcastle, and no coal mine at Anvil Hill!

Dear Mr Sartor,

The proposed new Coal Export Terminal in Newcastle, and the proposed Anvil Hill mine near Denman in the Hunter Valley, must not be approved.

These two dependant projects will allow a major increase in Hunter coal exports at a time when they need to be drastically reduced for the world to avoid devastating climate change.

The proposed Coal Export Terminal would:
- Export up to 66 million tonnes of coal per annum, causing over 150 million tonnes of greenhouse pollution and accelerating dangerous climate change - the greatest threat to life on earth.
- Allow a proliferation of new coal mines in the Hunter Region and Gunnedah Basin of NSW.
- Require the dredging of about 7 million tonnes of sediment from Newcastle Harbour, including 250,000 cubic metres of toxic sediment.
- Likely impact on migratory bird species and Ramsar wetlands, protected under international covenant.
- Likely impact on the nationally threatened Green and Golden Bell Frog.

The proposed Anvil Hill mine would:
- Accelerate runaway climate change by contributing to the expansion of the Hunter coal industry, and producing the equivalent of 25 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.
- Destroy over 1200 hectares of the largest intact stand of vegetation on the Central Hunter Valley floor.
- Destroy an area known to contain at least 22 threatened species of fauna, 8 threatened species of flora, one threatened population of flora, and 3 endangered ecological communities. In addition, the site contains many flora species of Regional Significance, and migratory bird species protected under international covenant.
- Destroy two creeks, remove a third creek, and mine within 50 metres of a fourth.
- Remove a large part of the catchment of the Wybong Creek, a major tributary to the Hunter River
- Destroy important sites and artefacts of the Wonarua Aboriginal people.

The NSW Government has a responsibility to the Hunter Region, and indeed the world, to steer the Hunter away from coal and into clean and sustainable alternative industries.

I look forward to your response.