SENATOR Doug Cameron has told the Senate that BHP Billiton should not be able to mine for coal at the Liverpool Plains.
Cameron says that there are concerns about the potential consequences of mining and it is unacceptable to put such a vital contributor to Australia's food supply at risk.
Farmers are concerned that the impact of long-wall mining on the region's groundwater resources and the flow-on impact to the Murray-Darling Basin. They are concerned any exploratory mining in the region could mean sulphur and heavy metal contaminants could pollute ground water and impact on the region's agriculture.
However, BHP Billiton wants to perform exploratory drilling in the region and prime agricultural land doesn't have any status under NSW planning laws.
BHP Billiton estimates that about half a billion tonnes of coal is stored under the Liverpool Plains - regarded as some of the best agricultural land in Australia - and could be mined for 60 years.
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