From wombats to Wollombi, new mining plans stoke community concerns

On the other side of the mountains, the historic town of Wollombi has also found itself in the potential crosshairs of the coal miners – much to the surprise of local residents.

“Why Wollombi? That’s our question,” says Simone Smith, president of the Wollombi Valley Progress Association. “We’ve had fire, COVID-19 and now this … it puts a lot of stress on our community.”

Well-known for historic buildings dating back to 1840 or earlier, Wollombi is popular with tourists, including those journeying up the convict-built Great Northern Road that was the first overland link between Sydney and Newcastle.

READ FULL ARTICLE IN THE SMH CLICK HERE.