Appin Area Community Working Group

Appin community consultation

Part of the role of the AACWG is to visit various sites within Illawarra Coal's operations.

The Appin Area Community Working Group (AACWG) is a community consultative forum working with Illawarra Coal.

Established in 1998 (known then as the West Cliff Community Forum), the Group's purpose is to enable an ongoing, two-way flow of information between the community and Illawarra Coal. The AACWG's focus is to ensure the sustainability of the community around Illawarra Coal's operations. This includes environmental, social and economic sustainability.

The Appin Area includes the towns and communities of Appin, Douglas Park, Wilton, Menangle and the southern parts of Campbelltown.

The Group is regarded as important both by the community and Illawarra Coal to share information, achievements and concerns.

How We Work

Illawarra Coal and the Group's external facilitator provide the members with regular updates on news and operations. Information on specific topics is presented at meetings, and topics are nominated by the Group which reflect the community interests and concerns. Regular briefings on mining developments, including current and planned activities and site visits are also coordinated.

The role of the community members includes:

  • To attend and contribute to regular meetings and site visits and bring current issues, concerns and opportunities to Illawarra Coal.
  • To provide feedback to the community through our membership of this and other community groups, networks and associations.

AACWG Minutes

Meeting minutes can be downloaded (at right) and are also displayed on the shop window of Illawarra Coal's Appin Community Office at the Appin Shops.

To guide the operation of the Group, Terms of Reference (PDF 167KB) have been developed which define the Group's objectives, membership, responsibilities, meeting format, reporting processes, media protocols and evaluation processes.

(For minutes previous to 2008, please contact us)

Membership

The Group's community members (who participate as volunteers) are local residents and many have other roles in the community. No sitting fees or reimbursements are paid. Their commitment, dedication and involvement is greatly appreciated by Illawarra Coal.

Three to four Illawarra Coal company representatives usually attend each meeting and host site visits. This varies based on the issues to be discussed or the requirements of the site visits, ensuring the most appropriate people attend.

All meetings are attended by the Group's external facilitator, Rebecca Iliffe, Director of Turnstone Projects.

Community members are self nominated and there is no membership limit. Members of the local ‘Appin Area' community are invited to participate. Please contact us for further information.

The Work Program

Meetings

Meetings are usually held at the Appin Community Office in Appin, starting at 6.00 pm and end by 8.30 pm. A light supper is provided. The meeting dates for 2009 are:

  • Tuesday 17 February
  • Tuesday 21 April
  • Tuesday 16 June
  • Tuesday 18 August
  • Tuesday 20 October
  • Tuesday 15 December

An agenda is issued prior to the meeting and members are able to add any issues or questions to be addressed at the meeting.  See the full 2009 Program.

Site Visits

An important role of the AACWG is to visit various Illawarra Coal operations around the Appin Area. This includes three of Illawarra Coal's mining operations, West Cliff, Appin and Appin West.

In 2009, scheduled site visits for Group members include:

  • An underground mine tour of Appin on 16 March
  • Visit to Southern Mines Rescue Station on 19 May
  • A return visit to West Cliff to see Brennans Creek Dam (and new diversion), Ponds 3 and 4, the outlet to the Georges River, Stages 1 and 2 of emplacement rehabilitation and Stage 3 emplacement plans

Contact Us

The AACWG welcomes new members. If you are interested in joining, attending AACWG meetings as an observer, or wish to find out more about the group please contact: