NO NEW COAL MINE FOR TASMANIA

A new coal mine is proposed 15km west of St Marys, Tasmania. It would produce one million tonnes of coal per year, but no new coal mines can be built if we are serious about tackling global heating. You can help stop this mine from going ahead.

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Below is a summary of the new coal mine proposed 15km west of St Marys, Tasmania (Fingal).

Mine Proponent and Parent:

The lease holder for the proposed mine is Hard Rock Coal Mining. Hard Rock Coal Mining went into voluntary administration in 2018, it was acquired by a new company, also called HRCM; but rebranded as Hydrogen Ready Coal Mining. This company's parent is Paladin Hydrogen.

Mine Location:

41°38'00.2"S 148°03'05.7"E (Valley Road, Fingal)

Company Summary:

HRCM proposes to construct a new underground coal mine near Fingal that would see one million tonnes of coal extracted each year. The proponent claims the coal will be used to feed a hydrogen production facility at Bell Bay, which the proponent further claims will be creating “green hydrogen” through a “zero emissions” process, starting in March 2024. No application for a hydrogen production facility has been lodged by HRCM or its parent company. The owner, Dave Hodgson, was formerly a member of the Rhodesian special forces unit the Selous Scouts, a self-described “terrorist”; and a mercenary/bounty hunter. Hodgson is also currently the head of a group of companies called Paladin Group, which collectively is claimed to be worth one billion dollars. One of these is a marketplace ministry network called Kingdom Initiatives.

Mine Summary:

Fingal Valley is the only place in Tasmania where coal is currently mined. There are two mines that together extract less than one million tonnes per annum - Duncan (400,000tpa) and Cornwall (600,000tpa). Both mines are owned by Cement Australia (parent company is Heidelberg). All coal currently mined in Fingal is consumed in Tasmania by a handful of major industrial customers; with Cement Australia being the largest consumer. The Mine is located on Valley Road, about 5km east of Fingal. It is in a Sustainable Timbers Tasmania future potential production zone (an informal reserve with no management plan), zoned Rural Resource (mining is a discretionary development) and roughly 5km to the boundary of Douglas Apsley National Park.

The proposed Fingal mine would be underground, and incorporates and enlarges a shaft that was abandoned in the 1960s. A photo used by coverage in the ABC shows a cleared area, however, TCT understands that the mine shaft is unchanged from when it was abandoned in the 1960s. Satellite archives show clearing, roading, drainage and water detention ponds being completed between 2014-2016. However, no buildings have been built, car parking created, conveyor systems installed (attached, DPEMP appendices 7 & 8 show maps of permitted works). There may be some minimal activity there currently such as storage of pipes for stormwater and water storage tanks. Valley Rd is an STT road, subject to access agreement.

Approvals and Leases:

The mine is a classified as a level two development. This means it is assessed by the Tasmanian EPA, with its development permit and accompanying environmental management plans signed off by the local planning authority (council in Tasmania) and the EPA.

The mine has a planning permit and Development Proposal and Environmental Management Plan DPEMP (attached) and a mining lease. The permit was issued to Hard Rock Coal Mining in September 2012, with the DPEMP approved by the EPA board shortly beforehand. The DPEMP was subject to a permit variation (an environmental protection notice) in September 2018 (attached) . TCT is investigating the validity of the existing permits. The mining lease was issued in 2013 and comes up for renewal in August 2023. Renewal is at the discretion of the state level minister. The Mining lease is still in Hard Rock Coal Mining's name.

The minister was successfully pressured to not renew a mining lease for a coal mine in the Midlands in 2019/20. As far as TCT is aware, the mine was never referred to the Federal Environment Minister, nor was it assessed as to whether it is a controlled action under the EPBC legislation.

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The Tasmanian Conservation Trust (TCT) is part of a network (Fossil Free Lutruwita) that opposes the construction of HRCM’s new coal mine in Tasmania. TCT has fought to protect our beautiful state for over 50 years. We partner with communities around Tasmania to protect biodiversity, reserves, and cultural heritage. TCT uses community organising, legal challenges and advocacy to achieve its goals.