Mayor Statham was addressing a public hearing called by the Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) to hear submissions relating to Centennial Coal’s bid to extend the life of Springvale Colliery.

Of the 38 parties registered to speak at the hearing a considerable proportion were representing environmental organisations.

A PAC spokesperson said that around 900 written submissions had also been received but no breakdown was available.

The ‘them and us ‘tone of the hearing was set during the opening comments by commission chairman Brian Gilligan.

A member of the huge audience asked for all speakers to state their address when making their submission.

Mr Gilligan said the names were provided on the public list of registrations but no one would be asked to give their home address.

But when Mayor Statham asked for a show of hands for anyone directly or indirectly benefiting from the mining industry the result was overwhelming.

“This (the hearing) is not a dress rehearsal,” she said.

‘Centennial only gets one go at this.”

She described the impending PAC decision as ‘the most important for the Lithgow district in decades’ and stressed to the commissioners the hardship that would result from any rejection of the Springvale application.

Cr Statham said that some objectors mistakenly believed that this was to be an open cut.

She said the lobbyists objecting to the mining of coal should consider ‘what will you do when the lights go out’.

“Renewable energy may be realistic by 2025,” she said.

“Meantime we don’t want Lithgow to become a blip on the way to Bathurst.”

Cr Statham and Council’s Environment and Development Manager Andrew Muir were the opening speakers at the hearing.

Mr Muir said council planners had carefully considered the application and were fully supportive of the Springvale project subject to the usual conditions.

“Council is well aware of the key issues raised of subsidence and water quality and are confident that these issues can be adequately managed or offset,” he said.

Mr Muir said that following on the closure of Wallerawang power station and mothballing of Angus Place Colliery any loss of Springvale ‘would have a devastating impact on our community’.

He urged the commissioners to consider ‘the consequences of non approval’.

Mr Muir said Centennial Coal has been a ‘good and responsible’ corporate citizen.

“Council staff are satisfied the application meets all necessary criteria,” he said.

The submissions by Cr Statham and Mr Muir were met with sustained applause.