I recently conducted a 36 hour reconnaissance drive up to Breeza and Caroona on the Liverpool Plains area of NSW to examine the area where several open-cut coal mines have been proposed – at least one of which, the Shenhua Watermark mine, is foreign-owned. The Liverpool Plains a highly productive region of Australia with vast acres in production of barley, chickpeas, faba beans, sorghum, sunflowers, soybeans, maize, wheat and cotton, plus grazing of beef cattle and sheep. I concur with the protesters slogan of “Wrong mine, wrong place.”
On the drive up I hoped to photograph the extensive raping and scarring of the land through the Hunter Valley but opportunities are not prevalent from the roadside due to significant concealing of operations and the resultant ramifications. I am not against mining, per se, however I do have issues with “the commons” being over-extracted for the profits of a few whilst the landholder has little recompense for the invasion, and the people of this nation see very little direct financial benefits.
The following two signs are in close proximity, located alongside the Kamilaroi Hwy, near Breeza.
Anti-Mining Sign 2AM-007978 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Anti-Mining Sign 2AM-007974 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Should they be able to mine this…
Liverpool Plains 2AM 1217-1221 pano © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
and turn it into this?
Coal Mine 2AM-001179 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Coal Train 2AM-007879 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Here is a warning sign to the public (the same public who paid for the road) that as a result of mining activity in the Hunter Valley the public infrastructure is likely compromised…
Road Subsidence Sign 2AM-007875 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Road Subsidence Sign 2AM-007876 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Let’s Lock the Gate “to protect our common heritage – our land, water and communities – from unsafe or inappropriate mining for coal seam gas and other fossil fuels.”
Lock the Gate 2AM-007873 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Anti-Mining Sign 2AM-001222 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Anti-Mining Sign 2AM-001223 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Anti-Mining Sign 2AM-001224 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
To wrap this blog-post up here are several images capturing a very small portion of the scenery, productivity, and lifestyle of this magnificent agricultural region. I am very grateful to the property owners for their time and the access to their properties.
These first four images were captured as I arrived just prior to dusk at “Rossmar Park” near Caroona.
Sunflowers 2AM-007901 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Galah 2AM-001190 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Galah 2AM-001191 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Farm Gate 2AM-007885 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
The next morning, along Coonabarabran Rd, near Caroona.
Sign and Stars 2AM-7888-7889 stack © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Silos and Trees 2AM-007898 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
“Breeza Station” – Breeza.
Breeza Station 2AM-007937 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Australian Pelican 2AM-001241 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Corn 2AM-001229 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Corn 2AM-001253 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Irrigation Ditch 2AM-007991 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Irrigation Ditch 2AM-007993 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Irrigation Ditch 2AM-008005 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Sorghum Harvest 2AM-001265 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Sorghum Harvest 2AM-008002 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Sorghum Harvest 2AM-001267 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Sorghum Harvest 2AM-007999 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Sorghum Harvest 2AM-008001 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Breeza Station 2AM-007944 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Woolshed 2AM-007946 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Woolshed 2AM-007950 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Woolshed 2AM 7961-7962 HDR © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Silos at Dusk 2AM 8019-8021 HDR © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
“Drayton” – Breeza
Dam at Dawn 2AM 8045-8050 Panorama © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Clouds 2AM-001311 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Sunflowers 2AM-001297 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Sunflowers 2AM-008059 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Irrigation Ditch 2AM-001276 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Black-shouldered Kite 2AM-001305 © Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.
Cheers 🙂
Andrew McInnes Photography 