More than 200 protesters have gathered outside a Sydney court, angry at a renewed bid by Rio Tinto to expand a mine in the NSW Hunter Valley.
Rio and the NSW government are appealing a Land and Environment Court decision which blocked the mining giant from expanding its Warkworth coal mine project in the Hunter.
The court had ruled earlier this year that the environmental case presented by residents of the small village of Bulga outweighed the economic benefits of the mine project.
On Wednesday, more than 200 people at the NSW Supreme Court as the appeal began.
Addressing the crowd, broadcaster Alan Jones said the appeal was a sad day for the people of NSW.
"What's happened is that governments have gone broke and they think the mining industry will get them out of trouble," Mr Jones said.
"The mining industry is dominated by multinationals, non-Australian. They come and take the guts out of the ground, take the profits and go."
The activists are also rallying against proposed changes to mine planning laws in NSW, which they say will not give communities any power against large-scale mining developments.
In a show of defiance met with cheers from the crowd, a group of community leaders tore up the "contract with NSW" that Premier Barry O'Farrell made before the election.
Farmer Penny Bradford said the government needs to keep its commitment to voters.
"The government needs to recommit to these promises regarding land use," she said.
The protest came as NSW Mineral Councils claimed there was huge support from the community for mining in the Upper Hunter region.
It says a ReachTel survey of 514 residents across Muswellbrook and Singleton local government areas found support for mining at 78 per cent, with opposition at just 11 per cent.
