Coalminers given approval to clear nearly 10% of endangered forest, commission told

Lock the Gate says previous decisions not factored in to recommendation allowing 250ha of endangered area to be cleared

Coalmining companies were given approval to clear nearly 10% of what is now a critically endangered forest in the New South Wales Hunter Valley over the past decade, according to evidence before a government commission.

It has prompted calls for politicians and bureaucrats to place greater weight on cumulative damage before giving developments the green light.