Activists have vowed to continue drastic measures in their fight against the Russell Vale mine expansion despite it been given the all clear by the state government.
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On Tuesday morning, Dapto grandmother Sam Noonan was forcibly removed from the entrance of Wollongong Coal at Bellambi Lane after chaining her neck to the gates.
The 48-year-old was charged by police with fail to comply with move on direction, but had told the Mercury she was prepared to do anything for her cause.
"They're mining underneath the Sydney and Illawarra water catchment, and we all need to drink water," she said.
Mrs Noonan was part of the Stop Russell Vale Mine group, one of several community organisations regularly seen picketing outside the mine, with key concerns being its proximity to drinking water from Cataract Dam as well as "non-compliance" breaches by the operator.
Miranda Gibson - an activist who lived in a tree for a year to save a Tasmanian forest from logging - was also at Tuesday's protest and said strong action stops the work of concern.
"We're at the point now we have to do whatever it takes," she said.
In September, Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley granted approval for Wollongong Coal to expand their operations, and extract approximately 3.7m tonnes of extra coal over a five-year period.
Some of the mining was planned to occur underneath areas of the Sydney water catchment area, though in explaining her decision, Ms Ley said the extension did not pose any concerns about climate change.
Kaye Osborn has been campaigning against the mine for 11 years with Illawarra Residents for Responsible Mining and believed there were still a number of unresolved environmental issues by Wollongong Coal.
"It's been up to community members to follow up and point out to the state government that they haven't complied with conditions of approval," she said.
"Our group will be continuing to oppose this mine. We are at the moment looking at air quality and greenhouse gas management plan which was recently approved by the state government and looking at some irregularities in that plan."
The Illawarra Justice Climate Alliance is another group opposed to the mine with large-scale action planned in January.
Spokesman Jack Mansell said the operations of Wollongong Coal were becoming widely known with mounting concern from the community, but does empathise the operator has deep financial obligations.
"We understand they have quite serious financial stakes in it and liabilities over $500million and they want pay their debts off, but we want to start to disrupt [work] and tell them the community won't stand for the coal mining activities to expand," Mr Mansell said.
Other groups continuing the fight include Extinction Rebellion Northern Illawarra, Lock the Gate Alliance, and the Protect Our Water Catchment.
Nick Southall from the latter said his group supported direct actions at the mine site as they had been left with no other choice after a series of campaigns, petitions and lobbying governments.
Wollongong Coal had been contacted by the Mercury for comment but did not respond.
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