The Department of Regional NSW is considering Mining Exploration Licence Application 6169 now.  A decision is due to be made very soon, possibly in the week commencing 8 February. At this stage of the process, the NSW Government can simply reject the application. However, if the application is approved, individual landholders would be required to negotiate land access directly with the mining company and go through burdensome and escalating arbitration processes if they object to granting access.

The area proposed for exploration  - and potential future mining - is known as Coolagolite, located between Cobargo and Bermagui.  Coolagolite has: a strong working farming community; significant environmental assets in the form of national parks, remnant habitat, diverse flora and fauna, and catchment for the Bermagui River; cultural heritage significance for Aboriginal people; and vital tourism assets in the form of natural beauty and farming heritage. 

Importantly, our community is fragile after the bushfires of 2020/21 that tore through Cobargo and Coolagolite, destroying property and environment and taking life. The impact of that catastrophic event is still felt by our community every day.

Allowing mining exploration - and therefore forcing us to protect our homes, livelihoods, environment and heritage once more - represents an existential threat to the wellbeing of our community as much as to the beauty and assets of this region. Please sign this petition to urge the NSW Government to reject Mining Exploration Licence 6169.