Business as usual in NSW

This afternoon, I attended the round-table meeting at the Newcastle City Hall organised by the Panel set up by the Planning Minister to look at the proposed new coal loader.

The proposal is for a new Coal Export Terminal on Kooragang Island for the export of up to 66 million tones per annum of coal. The Planning Minister, Mr Frank Sartor, has appointed an "Independent Panel of Experts" under very limited Terms of Reference, which do not mentioned the climate impacts of what this coal loader would be doing.

This is despite NSW being a signatory to the Intergovernment Agreement on the Environment 1st May 1992 that outlines that NSW needs to ensure that there is a proper examination of matters which significantly affect the environment (clause 3.4), that decisions need to take into account the precautionary principle and intergenerational equity (clause 3.5) and that the parties acknowledge the potentially significant impact of greenhouse enhanced climate change on Australia's natural, social and working environment (Schedule 5).

Has Mr Sartor read this agreement?

Mr Sartor has appointed 3 men to the Panel: Mr Kearns (Chair), the Deputy Chief, Business Integration at CSIRO - Mr D'Abreton, an air quality consultant - and Mr Gross, a noise consultant.

The Panel is meeting downstairs in City Hall tomorrow and Thursday.