(Note this is just a suggestion; please personalise it or write your own version but be sure to include the 3 points we are calling for).

My name is … and I am a …

I write to voice my concern about the mineral mining explorations underway in the Clarence Catchment, NSW, and the potential threat this poses to the local ecology, waterways, drinking water, culture, and economy if mining were approved.

Recent catastrophic floods in the Northern Rivers prove that this is no place for mineral mining and tailings dams.

Mining in high rainfall flood zones, on steep terrain next to the Clarence, Mann, and Nymboida Rivers, and in our drinking water catchments on plateaus, WILL leach or overflow and is a potential catastrophe waiting to happen.

Given the well-documented track record of tailings dams failure, and their contamination of waterways here in Australia and around the world, I appeal to you for support.

Our water-based community and economy relies heavily on our river systems, catchments, and ocean for our social, cultural, environmental, and financial wellbeing.

No promise of mining jobs can outweigh the potential decimation of the millions of dollars and employment that our existing local sectors and the industries that service them already provide. Tourism, fishing, prawning, farming, agri-food, to name a few.

We know that you hold the authority to make changes to State Policy to protect us. It is with the above in mind that I appeal to you to:

1. Support and respond to our community call for a ban on future mineral mining, both exploratory or active, in the Clarence Catchment and surrounding Local Government Areas that feed our water source.

2. Cease the renewal of and revoke existing exploratory and mining licenses, in recognition of the Clarence Catchment’s importance for threatened species and ecological communities, such as the Eastern Freshwater Cod and Koala.

2. Join our calls to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces to amend the NSW State Environmental Planning Policy (Mining, Petroleum Production and Extractive Industries) 2007 to add the following as prohibited development:
• mineral mining and mineral exploration in the Clarence Catchment and surrounding Local Government Areas that feed our water source.

3. Seek to amend the NSW Mining Act 1992 to prevent mining and mineral exploration occurring in major urban drinking water catchments, culturally and environmentally sensitive areas, and across the Clarence Catchment and surrounding Local Government Areas that feed our water source.

Thank you for your time; I await your response.

Sincerely…

Key Ministers:

1. Minister for Planning and Public Spaces (Paul Scully): Responsible for assessing major mining projects, including environmental impact assessments and land use considerations.

2. Minister for Regional NSW (Tara Moriarty): Oversees mining regulations and approvals through the Department of Regional NSW.

3. Minister for Environment and Heritage (Penny Sharpe): Involved in assessing the environmental impacts of mining projects and ensuring conservation compliance.

4. Minister for Water (Penny Sharpe): Responsible for water resources and ensuring mining does not harm water quality and availability.

5. Other Ministers related to this issue are:
   The Ministers for Aboriginal Affairs (David Harris)

   Agriculture (Tara Moriarty)

   Tourism (John Graham)

   The full list of Ministers is here.
   www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/Pages/ministers.aspx