16 October, 2013
Mining SEPP threatens Sydney’s critical drinking water supplies
The Sydney Catchment Authority’s call for critical parts of the city’s drinking water catchment to be exempt from the proposed Mining SEPP [1] highlights the risks that mining poses to drinking water supplies, and the dangers of putting narrow economic interests ahead of environmental and social considerations.
The SCA said in its submission on the Mining SEPP that:
The SCA believes that the policy amendments could result in increased risks to Sydney's drinking water catchment and an increased risk of damage to water supply infrastructure. This includes dams, pipes and canals, loss of water from storages, degradation of water quality and damage to the Special Areas that buffer the water storages. It is SCA's statutory duty to prevent and minimise these risks. [2]
The SCA also warned of the damage longwall mining can cause to key infrastructure, streams and swamps.
There have been situations where longwall mining has caused damage to the SCA's infrastructure [the Upper Canal has been significantly impacted by longwall mining since the mid 1990’s] and catchment lands including watercourses and swamps. The evidence available suggests that a prudent risk management approach warrants a limitation being imposed on longwall mining within the zone identified as the prescribed notification areas ... [2]
“We support Sydney Catchment Authority’s call for critical parts of Sydney’s water catchment to be exempt from damaging changes contained in the Mining SEPP,” NCC Campaigns Director Kate Smolski said.
“The government should heed the warnings of the SCA – a body charged with protecting the drinking water of more than 4 million people – about the damage that longwall mining is causing to the catchment.
“The proposed SEPP poses a serious risk to critical water resources across the state by putting narrow economic interests ahead of environmental and social considerations.
“We also support banning longwall mining in drinking water catchments because of its negative impacts on the quality and quantity of water.
“In Sydney’s catchment, scientists have found that longwall coal mining is draining creeks and swamps, releasing chemicals and sediment into streams and reservoirs, and reducing the volume of water flowing into the water supply by about 3 billion litres a year.
“It makes no sense to put critical drinking water at risk for the short-term benefit of the privileged mining sector.”
“We call on the O’Farrell government to live up to its pre-election promise and ban mining in drinking water catchments across the state. Everyone in NSW deserves clean plentiful drinking water, no matter where they live.“
Sydney’s drinking water is a critical resource for more than 4.5 million people. SCA figures show that the four coal mines [3] that undermine Sydney’s Metropolitan Special Areas drain about 3 billion litres a year from the water supply, [4] enough to fill 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools and [5] equivalent to the output of Sydney’s desalination plant running flat out for 12 days.[6] Mining also releases tonnes of iron, manganese and other contaminants into Sydney’s drinking-water dams. [7]
[1] www.smh.com.au/environment/water-supply-at-risk-20131015-2vkwk.html#ixzz2hpA83Gmg
[2] https://majorprojects.affinitylive.com/public/303b8c3f2b887d1c05558da47fcfad3a/SCA.pdf
[3] BHP-Billiton’s Dendrobium longwall mine; Peabody’s Metropolitan longwall mine ; and NRE’s Gujarat and Wongawilli longwall mines.
[4] Coal Seam Gas Impacts on Water Resources, Sydney Catchment Authority, December 2012.
[5] An Olympic sized- swimming pool contains 2,500,000 litres of water.
[6] The desalination plant has a capacity of 250ML a day. www.sydneydesal.com.au.
[7] Nature Conservation Council of NSW and Save Our Water Catchment Areas, Some Longwall Mining Impacts in the Special Areas since 2010: A Submission to the 2013 Audit of the Sydney Drinking Water Catchment.
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Coal and gasPlanning and Development
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