DEPENDING on which side of the fence you are on, it is either a visual screen or - as locals have described it - the great wall of Yancoal.
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Over the past few months, coalmining company Yancoal has installed a large barrier on the scenic Bucketts Way tourist route to Gloucester to block views of its extended open-cut operations at the Duralie mine.
It is similar to screens installed along the New England Highway blocking views to open-cut mining near Singleton.
The structure is the first of its type in the Gloucester area, where mining and coal-seam gas mining is expanding.
The screen, on the corner of the Bucketts Way and Duralie Road, has been criticised by some residents for spoiling the area's scenic qualities.
The company said the "visual screen" was part of the conditions of consent for the extension of mining operations and they have erected it on their own property.
The property involved is Wards River Station, acquired by Yancoal.
When complete, the structure would be about three metres to 3.6 metres above road level, the company said. It would extend about 400 metres along the road.
Ironstone Community Action Group secretary Amanda Albury said the screen blocked what used to be a scenic view of the countryside before the company began work on its extended operations.
"This has set a precedent," Mrs Albury said.
"You are going to end up with a tourist drive blocked out by a privacy fence for mining.
"From Yancoal's point of view it is out of sight out of mind. It might lock out the view of what they are doing but it doesn't change what they are doing."
Mrs Albury said other landowners might want to do the same thing.
The community group has established regular "information sessions" at the wall as a way of telling people what it is for. The next session will be next Saturday.
Yancoal declined to respond to criticisms of its screen.