help Calga stop the sand mine

the more populated the world grows, the more impact we inevitably have on the environment.  i've spent the past couple of days learning about Calga/Peats Ridge residents' concerns about a proposed new sand mine in their neighbourhood.


the mine, located on only 134 acres of classic Sydney sandstone country is expected to extract one sixth of Sydney's annual sand supply.  it will do this by cutting 35 metres down into the sandstone and into the local aquifer that Calga and Peats Ridge residents say supplies up to 50% of the Central Coast's water supply.


it's amazing how such a small block of land wedged between Mooney Mooney and Brooklyn can potentially have such an enormous impact on the water supply for almost half a million people.  in addition, the mine process involves crushing stone to extract sand.  


the process is highly water intensive and creates invisible, but highly dangerous silica crystals, not found on beaches, where the sand's silica crystals are rounded, these silica crystals are sharp from the mechanical crushing process and can cause asthma and more significantly, silicosis, not dissimilar to asbestosis, when inhaled - there is no cure for this scarring of the lungs, that will occur from long-term exposure to the tiny silica crystals.


today i helped Scott Levi put some info on the ABC website about the mine and next week Scott will broadcast some of the interviews I've made with Calga residents and former Hawke government environment minister, Barry Cohen, who has a special connection to the area in question.


if you can make the time, simply log onto this website & ask NSW Planning Minister, Tony Kelly to stop the mine.