TRADITIONAL land owners and environmental group Lock the Gate Alliance (LTGA) have put major banks in the firing line, accusing them of double standards on climate change as they continue to fund mining projects.
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They have taken particular aim over the financial support provided to Whitehaven, which LTGA claim have a poor environmental record following multiple regulation breaches in recent years.
Gomeroi woman Karra Kinchela, is concerned that further funding will place more culturally significant land at risk.
"Whitehaven wants to expand its Narrabri Underground coal mine beneath the sacred Pilliga Forest, we can't let this happen," she said.
"NAB and Westpac's Sydney and Melbourne based bank bosses are just as guilty as Whitehaven bosses are when it comes to wrecking Gomeroi country.
"Whitehaven and the banks that support it are stealing water and tearing apart the land.
"Westpac and NAB customers need to know about the destruction that's happening in the Namoi."
Boggabri farmer Sally Hunter also criticised the banks, as well as the fines that have been given to Whitehaven in recent years, calling them "small-change penalties" that have failed to prevent further indiscretions.
However NAB has claimed it is an environmentally friendly company, and stated while it continues to support existing customers, it no longer funds new thermal coal mining projects or onboards new customers in the mining sector.
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"NAB is focused on helping our customers reduce their own carbon emissions by providing capital as they invest in new technologies and financial innovation through sustainability-linked loans and ESG-linked derivatives," a spokesperson said.
"We are actively working with 100 of our largest greenhouse-gas emitting customers to develop or improve their low carbon transition and climate change resilience plans.
"We're also proud to be training our bankers to ensure they are well equipped to help our customers with financial innovation and advice to help their transition."
Whitehaven have also taken issue with the accusations of environmental recklessness from the LTGA.
"Every day, we are required to comply with more than 7,000 individual controls across various licence conditions and management plans," they said.
"We are committed to strong performance in this critical area. In the regrettable instances where non-compliances do occur, we always seek to work cooperatively with relevant regulators and take steps to address all controllable factors that contributed to the non-compliance."
Whitehaven also argued it supports local First Nations people, with nine per cent of its workforce identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander for the past five years.
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