Production was disrupted at Buffalo Coal’s Magdalena Mine on Tuesday when a group of people, claiming to be from a community trust, put a chain and lock on a gate to prevent access to land,  known as Avalon, adjacent to Magdalena.

Buffalo Coal has servitude rights giving them access to truck coal across the property which was bought by the Government.

The community claim that the land is theirs but when asked, could not produce title deeds.  They blamed the Government for not settling the process.

Police from Dannhauser and Newcastle were called in.  After negotiations, the lock and chain were removed from the gate and operations continued.  Mine management has laid charges of intimidation and harassment at the Dannhauer police station.