Undercover spies hired to infiltrate anti-coal campaign

Former soldiers and intelligence operatives have been sent to infiltrate a network of anti-coal protesters aiming to thwart a multi-billion dollar expansion of coal production in northern New South Wales, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Using false identities, the spies-for-hire have attempted to penetrate the inner sanctum of a group of environmentalists and local landowners who have vigorously attempted to stop the coal mines at Maules Creek and Boggabri.

In what represents a significant escalation of a heated battle between Whitehaven Coal and Idemitsu Australia Resources and anti-coal activists, an investigation has uncovered a clandestine campaign of significant scale but ham-fisted execution.

Report clears longwall impact on water quality

The NSW government has been given the green light to lift a ban on coal seam gas near Sydney after a report found CSG and longwall coal mining posed no threat to the quality of drinking water, according to the Australian Financial Review.

In a boost for companies such as AGL and BHP Billiton, the report by NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer Dr Mary O’Kane reports that: “Water quality issues can largely be managed through treatment works”

But the report said NSW could consider banning fraccing in the Sydney water catchment because of concerns about some of the chemicals used.

In November, NSW banned CSG exploration and extraction in the Sydney water catchment’s most sensitive “special areas” pending O’Kane’s report.

MMG boss warns more mine closures are coming

The Australian boss of Chinese miner MMG says he is cynical about the investment community's role in exacerbating commodity price volatility and warned that many weaker miners may shut down as the price pressure rises, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Speaking in Melbourne at a News Corp summit, Andrew Michelmore said China's drive to close poor quality steel mills was spooking investors in the developed world who were dumping their exposure to iron ore.

“That's where I expect to see quite large volatility in commodity prices as these are exacerbated and I have to say the investment community looks at it and thinks ‘this is fantastic, I can swing that up and I can swing that down further’ because they rely on turnover,” he said.