Letter to the Editor: SAVE, SERVE AND PROTECT NEWCASTLE Launches donation drive to oppose coal mining applications
"It's all or nothing because the dust and ungodly rumble of coal trucks through our CBD will change every citizen, business, school, hospital, for ever."

Newcastle-based non-profit organisation SAVE, SERVE AND PROTECT NEWCASTLE has announced its first donation of R100,000 towards legal costs to oppose the controversial DF96 coal mining application, alongside 16 other similar applications for coal mining in the region.
The donation has sparked great enthusiasm within the NPO, which has set a goal of raising R2 million to support a potential Constitutional Court application.
The group, led by Dr. Brian Wilson, warns that the impact of these mining operations on Newcastle could be catastrophic.
“The dust and ungodly rumble of coal trucks through our CBD will change every citizen, business, school, and hospital forever,” Dr. Wilson said.
He criticised the local government’s planning decisions, particularly the proposed multimillion-rand “Water World” project opposite McDonald’s, arguing that it is “absolutely daft planning” to entertain such developments while approving coal mining applications threatening the town’s future.
Dr. Wilson, a lifelong Newcastle resident with 40 years of local experience, has voiced his concerns about the long-term impact of coal mining on the town’s environment and economy.
He believes these applications represent the “final nail in Newcastle’s coffin” if allowed to proceed. “Newcastle was once a clean and lovely town,” he explained. “But after 20 years of mismanagement, it is on the brink of destruction.”
The NPO stressed ‘that every citizen should now recognise the potential disaster these mining operations could bring and join their crusade to protect the town. They have called for widespread participation in their donation campaign.
Dr. Wilson also highlighted the stark contrast between his own agricultural business, which employs and trains 76 people on 100 hectares using sustainable, organic farming methods, and the large-scale, environmentally destructive operations proposed by the coal mines.
“We are teaching our students to farm ‘God’s (nature’s) Way,’ a philosophy completely opposed to what these coal mines intend to do,” he said, calling the situation the “ultimate irony.”
In December, Cabanga Environmental, the environmental assessment company contracted by the mine, completed its revised and final Environmental Impact Assessment report.
The revised document has an additional 43 pages to the original and initially set a public comment deadline of December 5.
The NGO had strongly opposed the deadline, arguing it was not enough time for the community to properly review and respond, compelling the NGO to instruct their lawyers to formally request an extension from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE).
Late last year, the DMRE granted an extension, pushing the deadline to March 5, allowing residents more time to thoroughly examine and respond to the revised Environmental Assessment Plan (EAP).
Video supplied by Dr Brian Wilson:
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