Singleton-based contract mining company LD Operations is working on the documentation to submit to the WA state government under the mine approval process.

The ultimate owners of the Vasse Coal Management joint venture are private companies Core Resources and AMCI.

Residents’ activist group No Coal!tion held its first meeting on Sunday at a property near the proposed development, attracting 60 residents keen to fight the development.

Parmenter, well-known for his television program Consuming Passions, said two of the residents near the proposed development actually work in the mining industry, with one serving as a geologist and another as an engineer working for a uranium explorer.

“Not one of us is against mining, we all believe that mining deserves its place and obviously we are benefiting from it,” Parmenter said.

But he said the residents were concerned with this coal project expanding down throughout the southwest of the state.

Parmenter said the entire coal seam runs “from Busselton down to Augusta as I understand it”

On the proposed site of the project, Parmenter said it was less than 2km from the river.

“We have seen what has happened in some of the other sites over in New South Wales and we’re just very nervous it will affect the water table and the Yarragadee and Leederville aquifers.

“And we think this one site is the tip of the iceberg, because there are 7 leases over 6000 hectares.”

The residents are also concerned with the impacts of freighting the coal out.

Augusta-Margaret River region shire president Ray Colyer previously told ILN that a lot of people do not understand the mining process or do not have much information on the proposed mine.

He said the shire did not have an opinion on the project at this stage and only had a one-hour briefing from the developer.

Parmenter said the shire was previously supporting the project before the recent backlash from the community.

LDO said the underground coal project could potentially create 200 operational jobs and generate another 800 in the area to support and service the operation.

Noting the early local government support because of the job creation, Parmenter is encouraging councillors to look at where the site is going to be.

“You ought to actually come out and have a look at the sites for this, because there are houses all round it – it’s almost like sticking it in Guildford or the suburbs somewhere.”

Even though most of the residents did not know about the coal project until last week, No Coal!tion Margaret River is rapidly organising resistance.

A website is expected to be online soon, while ABC’S Stateline television program will air the issues tomorrow night.

Well-known University of Western Australia academic and water expert Jorg Imberger is also on board with the resident's group, according to Parmenter.

Before his success in the world of cooking, Parmenter worked as a journalist and a TV director in news and current affairs.

After 20 years making programs for the ABC he said he certainly has got a few contacts.

He said the wine industry was particularly horrified with the coal project and he even received a call from someone in California who was in disbelief.

Parmenter said the town knew it was sitting on a coal seam and leases since 1966, but no one ever thought mining could happen, especially as the proposed area is now on the outskirts of the Margaret River town.

Bunbury-based Strategen Environmental Consultants is commissioned to assist the environmental assessment process for the project.

LDO recently said “numerous in-depth ecological, social impact and mine design studies are scheduled to be undertaken over the coming months”

“A consultation program is currently underway with state and local government representatives and we have been working closely with our direct neighbours over the past 12 months,” LDO said.

However, residents disagree there has been adequate consultation.

Work on the project is in preliminary stages.

Tonnages are not yet known, and it is not yet clear whether the project will employ longwall or bord and pillar mining.

Rio Tinto used to own the project and did a lot of the exploration.