Environmental activists fear Moorabool farming, health and water could be at risk if a mining exploration licence for a coal project in Bacchus Marsh is renewed.
The exploration licence of mining companies Mantle Mining and Exergen for the 154-square-kilometre Bacchus Marsh Coal Project is set to expire next month.
Mantle Mining confirmed to Star Weekly last week that a renewal application had been lodged.
If successful, the “commercial feasibility” of brown coal will be further explored. Recent testing has revealed that potentially about 1.6 billion tonnes of brown coal could be mined from the site.
Moorabool Environment Group president Ben Courtice said his members were concerned about potential health impacts and worried that the town’s water table could be contaminated.
“We’re happy if the project expires,” Mr Courtice said. “Coal is last century’s dirty technology and this mine would devastate the local community.
“Clean renewable energy has developed to the point where it could supply all our energy needs. Our farms, communities and climate are too precious to continue with coal.”
The group has called on locals to “fight for Moorabool shire” and protest against the mine.
Not financially viable
Mantle Mining exploration manager Mark Maxwell conceded brown coal was not currently financially viable.
“The financial investment in coal exploration has waned in the past two or three years because of the push to renewables,” Mr Maxwell said.
“But the resource is there and within the next two or three years we’d like to commence more drilling to define the resource.
“I don’t know why people are concerned at this stage … nothing is sort of planned at this stage for further development of the area.”
Greens leader Greg Barber said he was worried Bacchus Marsh would be “turned into the next Latrobe Valley”, citing the infamous 2014 Hazelwood mine fire, which burned for 45 days.
“If [the companies] ruled out that Bacchus Marsh would become the next Latrobe Valley … why issue an exploration licence?,” Mr Barber asked.
“Why have a company keep investing more into exploration if the ultimate proposal is to not mine there?”
Mr Barber said Bacchus Marsh’s employment strength was based on its “clean-green reputation as a food bowl” and not on brown coal.
