The plan to site a ventilation shaft from a coal mine just six hundred metres from Appin primary school would normally not attract much attention.
Recent events at the Pike River coal mine in New Zealand have changed all that !
Coal mines are dangerous places and the Pike River mine ventilation shaft has been shown on television as a roaring flame pit, belching smoke and noxious gases from the fire below.
What would be the effect on child safety if a primary school was sited just six hundred metres away from that Pike River shaft ?
That is a reasonable question to ask when this plan is considered, because mine accidents can happen very quickly and there can be no guarantee that a similar situation could not arise at Appin.
Hindsight is usually 20-20. Before this ventilation shaft goes ahead it would be wise to consider all the possible scenarios that may arise - and opt on the side of safety. It may cost a little more to move it further from the school - but if there is even a slight risk - that should be the course undertaken !
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