However, the decision may not be announced to the public by the Environment Protection Authority until next Monday.

The EPA board is scheduled to meet tomorrow and a spokesman confirmed that LD Operation’s Vasse Coal Project was on the agenda.

The project was listed for last month’s board meeting but was deferred so additional information could be sought. However, sources have indicated the board is expected to make a decision tomorrow.

The EPA spokesman said that if a decision is made, the usual practice is for it to be formally released under chairman Dr Paul Vogel’s name on the EPA website when it is updated the following Monday.

The EPA’s decision on whether or not it believes the project can be managed in an environmentally responsible manner will be in the form of a report with recommendations to Environment Minister Bill Marmion.

NO COAL!ition and other groups and individuals opposed to a coal mine can appeal against the report if it recommends a level of assessment can be applied.

LDO can appeal if the report recommends against the proposal, or if it believes the level of environmental assessment recommended is not warranted.

NO COAL!ition spokesman Ian Parmenter said the group, which raised about $40,000 for its fighting fund at a recent soiree at Xanadu Winery, would appeal if any level of assessment was recommended by the EPA.

"We will certainly be appealing, not that it might do us any good, but the new (Environment) Minister might be getting the message, with scooters running around Perth with ‘No Coal!’ billboards on them," Mr Parmenter said.

He said a NO COAL!ition supporter arranged for the mobile publicity with a relative who owns the Perth scooter billboard company.

A second TV funny man, former Monty Python star and world-travelling documentary maker Michael Palin, has joined Ben Elton in lampooning the proposal for a coal mine near Margaret River.

In a short video message sent to the www.margaretriversos.com petition site, Palin said: "Hello, it’s Michael Palin. I guess I want to ask one question. Who in their right mind would want to put a coal mine in the Margaret River region?"

Mr Palin visited the Margaret River region several years ago after being asked by interviewer Michael Parkinson where he was most looking forward to going in his travels of the world, and he said "Margaret River, Western Australia".

His video comment can be viewed on www.margaretriversos.com.