More than 60 farmers blockaded Santos trucks on Saturday and police were called to a state forest near Gunnedah amid disputes over potential water extraction and fracking.

In a much-hoped-for move, the NSW Government and the China Shenhua Energy Company Limited have reached a $100 million agreement in which Shenhua will withdraw its mining lease application and surrender its development consent for the Shenhua Watermark Coal project at Breeza on the Liverpool Plains.

A community group has launched a legal appeal against the NSW Independent Planning Commission’s approval of the controversial Narrabri Gas Project, in the state’s north west.

Teaming with musician Luke Vassella, the ‘artivists’ Cloudcatcher Media last Friday released Luke’s latest single and accompanying music clip dedicated to the Liverpool plains community fighting a Chinese mining giant.

Farmers on the Liverpool Plains have expressed alarm at a NSW planning department recommendation to give the huge open-cut Watermark coal mine, near Gunnedah, the green light.