Whitehaven Coal have begun bulldozing Leard State Forest to make way for the Maules Creek coal mine.

If the new open-cut coal mine goes ahead it will destroy thousands of hectares of Leard State Forest in north west NSW. The forest is home to 396 species of plants and animals and includes habitat for 34 threatened species and several endangered ecological communities. 

Locals, Traditional Owners, and environmentalists have responded to this tree clearing by blockading the site to prevent further bulldozing of the forest. Read more about what is happening.