Front Line Action on Coal has continued its campaign against coal mining in the Gunnedah Coal Basin with a protest at the gate to Whitehaven’s Tarrawonga mine site yesterday morning.

Workers arrived at the site to find a number of protesters supporting a colleague who had  climb onto a tree platform.

While the protest stopped coal trucks leaving the site, production continued as normal, according to a spokeswoman for Whitehaven.

However, spokesman for the protesters, Jonathan Moylan, said all coal output and worker access to Whitehaven's Tarrawonga Mine had been stopped by a protester sitting in a tree platform attached to the main gate.

“Twenty people gathered in 

support of the protest,” said Mr Moylan.

Front Line Action on Coal is backing the “Call to Country” campaign, calling for a federal moratorium on new coal and coal-seam gas projects and a Royal Commission into state government coal mine approval processes.

“State and federal governments are rushing coal projects through before finding out the impact on our water, our health and our climate.

“Will the federal approval process for Tarrawonga's expansion be just as shambolic as the other two mines which are ripping up our forest and our farming communities?” Mr Moylan continued.

“If governments continue to put coal companies ahead of the long-term prosperity of the community, more protests are inevitable.”

A national alliance of coal and gas affected communities, Lock the Gate, launched the “Call to Country” website and campaign demanding federal intervention into coal and gas approval processes last week.