A Newcastle clean energy company has voluntarily relinquished mining exploration licences it held in rural parts of the MidCoast LGA, prompting celebrations from local residents.
Two licences were cancelled by the NSW Resources Regulator on August 4, following an application from the company MCi Carbon.
The message from the Manning Against Mining Alliance (MAMA) - which opposed the project - was: “We won”.
What was proposed?: MCi Carbon wanted to extract serpentinite rock from the ground in order to test a process known as “mineral carbonation”.
This involves capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial sources and transforming them into materials used in construction and manufacturing.
Why the cancellation?: The two licences covered 93 square kilometres, including in parts of Mount George, Bobin, Wherrol Flat, Knorrit Flat and Mooral Creek.
MCi Carbon says the serpentinite it hoped to access in these areas was no longer needed.
“Since the licences were granted, MCi Carbon has completed a research program with its first commercial customer that satisfies this requirement, making the Mount George work unnecessary,” a company spokesperson said.
MCi Carbon says no mining occurred under the licences.
Not popular: The project was met with stiff opposition over an 18-month period.
MAMA claimed consultation has been inadequate and raised concerns over the project’s location, rock extraction techniques, flood risks and the potential presence of asbestos.
It was also opposed by MPs from the National Party and the Greens.