2 December, 2015
NSW Government decision puts Sydney’s drinking water supply at further risk
The NSW Government has brushed aside the concerns of the WaterNSW to give Wollongong Coal another five years to expand its Wongawilli longwall coal mine in Sydney’s drinking water catchment.
Wollongong Coal had applied to extend the approved duration of mining operations at the Wongawilli Nebo Area Project by five years until 2020. Mining ceased at Wongawilli in 2014 following a total mine collapse.
The Planning Assessment Commission’s noted in its approval report [1] that:
“…WaterNSW reiterated its objection to the original project application which was, essentially, that mining impacts associated with Longwall 3 in the vicinity of Cordeaux Dam, and the mining impacts associated with Western Drivage in the vicinity of Avon Dam, pose unacceptable risks to this stored water.”
However, the PAC then sought advice from the Department of Planning, which asserted the “risk of water loss from Cordeaux Reservoir to Longwall 3 was low”.
“This is another example of the PAC favouring the advice of the pro-development Planning Department ahead of other expert agencies, often to the detriment of communities and the environment,” Nature Conservation Council Campaigns Director Daisy Barham said.
“The department claims that the risk to our water supply posed by this mine is ‘low’, but that is not good enough. We should not be taking any risks with such a precious resource, especially because we know that the population of the Sydney region and its water needs are growing while the region’s climate is drying.
“This project will occur within the Special Areas of Sydney’s drinking water catchment, which already loses billions of litres of water every year as a result of damaged caused by longwall mining.
“The mine collapse last year proved Wollongong Coal was unfit to hold a mining licence, let alone undermine such a sensitive area.
“The State Government acknowledges that longwall mining poses a threat to our water catchment and yet it continues to approve coal mines. This is simply unacceptable.
“We urge the Baird Government to commit to developing a comprehensive plan to transition the Illawarra away from coal.”
[1] www.pac.nsw.gov.au/Projects/tabid/77/ctl/viewreview/mid/462/pac/500/view/readonly/myctl/rev/Default.aspx
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Coal and gas
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