New coal ash committee a box-ticking exercise

The Future Sooner community group says a Coal Ash Advisory Committee set to be established by the NSW Government could be “yet another box ticking exercise”.

The committee is to be formed to support the government’s response to the 16 recommendations it already agreed to action following the 2020 NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into costs for remediation of sites containing coal ash repositories, spokesperson Gary Blaschke said.

“We must be living in a parallel universe,” he said.

“In March 2021 the government’s Coal Ash Inquiry delivered its report.

“It was unanimous in its findings.

“Of the 16 recommendations, the two big ones that had the most impact on the health of residents were recommendations six and seven.

“Neither of these recommendations has commenced let alone been completed even though the deadline for publishing the findings of recommendation number six was December 31, 2022.

“That recommendation was: NSW Health to assess the health of residents near coal ash dams to establish the health impacts of coal ash.

“Now, at the end of 2024, we’re suddenly invited to apply for the NSW Coal Ash Advisory Committee that will determine whether people living close to power stations and their coal ash dams are exposed to potentially harmful chemicals.

“The closing date for applications is December 4 when people are well into Christmas.

“There are no terms of reference available, no information on how the committee will be chosen and NSW Health is yet to distribute the flyers it promised.

“All we know at the moment is that this new committee will meet quarterly.

“We don’t know what power it will have or whether it can force the government to comply with its findings.

“Is this yet another box ticking exercise?”

Blaschke said evidence from both the UN and the NSW Government’s 2020 Inquiry came to the same conclusion – pollution from coal-fired power stations like Vales Point and Eraring and their ash dams damaged people’s health.

“At the recent Future Sooner Citizens’ Inquiry residents told stories of unexplained asthmas, respiratory diseases, cancers and other chronic illnesses that they believe come from coal-fired power stations,” he said.

“They want action now.

“How long it will take the Coal Ash Advisory Committee to come to the same conclusion is anyone’s guess.

“Meanwhile the health of residents on the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie continues to be put at risk.”