Hunter Valley residents have decided to take on the New South Wales Lands Minister, Ashton Coal and White Mining. Residents of Camberwell , an Upper Hunter Valley village have decided to legally fight the state government over the decision to revoke control of the local common.
The two part historic Camberwell Common is a 90 hectare property which has been controlled since 1876 by a community trusts. Last April former Lands Minister Tony Kelly resumed the land without former notice and gave it over to Ashton Coal. Then White Mining asked for a mining lease application on the land in the month of May.
The Ashton Coal Project is located approximately 14 km north-west of Singleton in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales.
The former Lands Minister said that he had to intervene as the negotiations between the common’s trusts and Ashton Coal had broken down over the future use of the land. The 100 member strong village community and their supporters have now been campaigning against the expansion of the coal industry in Upper Hunter Valley.
Trust spokeswoman Deidre Olofsson said that it was a difficult year for the community. She said that the way it happened was unbelievable and disgusting. She added that they had decided that they had to fight and this was their last fight.
Ms Olofsson said that the problem in building up the case to take to court had been trying to get the information. She said that they got some of it under the Freedom of Information but the rest was received just a few weeks back. This was the biggest hold up in processing the case to take it forward. She hoped that the land would be returned to the Common Trust.