Greenpeace activists entering the coal loader.
Activists took non-violent direct action by chaining themselves to conveyor belts at the terminal, which exports 64 million tonnes of coal a year. Kooragang is NSW's biggest coal export terminal. Expansion plans now under wraps by the Iemma State Government will almost certainly be approved after the state election and will increase its capacity to 120 million tonnes - a nearly 100 per cent increase.
The Kooragang terminal's capacity generates the equivalent of 18,200 tonnes of carbon emissions every hour and, based on the Stern report figures of A$110 per tonne of carbon emissions, will cost $2,002,000 in climate damages every hour.
Wearing 'Stop Anvil Hill' banners, the activists warned that the State Government had plans to approve or expand at least eight mines in the Hunter Valley, which they said would be a "climate change disaster". Outside the complex a large orange banner said: 'IEMMA - STOP DEADLY COAL'.
The Kooragang terminal's capacity generates the equivalent of 18,200 tonnes of carbon emissions every hour and, based on the Stern report figures of A$110 per tonne of carbon emissions, will cost $2,002,000 in climate damages every hour.
About 15 police officers arrived on the scene and issued move on instructions to all but one of the Greenpeace team, forcing them to vacate the scene. The activists were removed by NSW Police at 1.40pm and taken to Waratah Police Station.
Greenpeace climate campaigner Ben Pearson said the non-violent action was taken to warn the people of NSW of the government's real agenda.
"The expansion of the Hunter Valley coal industry would not only be a climate disaster, but a political disaster for Morris Iemma. Voters increasingly get the link between coal and climate change and Mr. Iemma knows that his coal expansion plans are an electoral liability and is delaying them until after the poll.
The expansion of Newcastle's infrastructure is being driven by huge new coal mine proposals, including the controversial Anvil Hill mine. Planning Minister Frank Sartor recently admitted that no decision on Anvil Hill would be taken before the state election. Yet a government-appointed expert panel recently recommended that key consent conditions be watered down at the request of the developer - Centennial Coal - making it almost inevitable that Anvil Hill will be approved once the election is over.
The action took place days ahead of a planned climate summit to be hosted by the State Government in Sydney, at which the Premier will position himself as a climate change leader ahead of the state election while secretly planning a massive expansion of Hunter Valley. Yet nothing he can do will compensate for the climate damage that will be caused by expanding the Hunter coal industry.
"Premier Iemma should use the summit as a opportunity to announce that he is rejecting Anvil Hill and declaring a moratorium on new coal mines and coal-fired power stations in NSW," said Pearson.
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