Liverpool Plains

The aquifers and surface flows contribute to the Murray Darling Basin.  Any structural damage or pollution by mining, as demonstrated many times in the geologically similar Southern coalfield, for example, would be devastating for food supply and the purity and quantity of Australia’s water systems.

The ability of Australia to grow its own food is a National Security Asset, and it is essential to ensure that the Plains are never held to ransom by ruthless mining companies or short-sighted governments hungry for more mining royalties.

The Caroona Coal Action Group (CCAG) is leading the struggle by representing a rural community concerned that subsidence caused by longwall mining will damage the underground aquifers, the life blood of food and fibre production on the Liverpool Plains.

For more information, visit the Caroona Coal Action web site: http://www.ccag.org.au/

But that's not all:  

the Liverpool Plains are also under threat from gas mining (CSM: coal seam methane) and SANTOS is already exploring the Plains and the Ranges for this dangerous and difficult-to-control mining operation; and read these media releases and articles listed below:

• Call for govt to scrap coal-mining plans for Liverpool Plain  

• Govts should foot bill for Liverpool Plains water study  

• NSW farmers skewered to sell coal to China , an article by Alex Mitchell in "Crickey", 20 August 2008.

                                                       16 July 2010

                                                   TAKE ACTION NOW

• SIGN THE PETITION AGAINST MINING ON THE LIVERPOOL PLAINS:

The Caroona Coal Action Group has launched a petition against mining on the Liverpool Plains  to prevent damage to human health, to the future of agriculture and the protection of water courses and aquifiers in this fragile region. Click on this link to sign the petition.

Caroona on the Liverpool Plains

In April 2006, the NSW Government issued BHP Billiton (via Coal Mines Aust. Ltd) a five-year coal exploration licence EL 6505 (costing $123m), covering 344 square kms.

Under the 5-year licence, BHP proposes to drill approximately 300 core holes up to 600 metres deep across the licence area to determine the quality and location of coal deposits. To date over 100 holes have been dug without necessary data collection for a spatial water study.

It is BHP Billiton’s intention, if granted approval by the NSW Government, to then establish a large-scale underground longwall mine development to extract the coal over a period of 30-50 years.

Farmers and community members are calling for an independent catchment-wide groundwater study to be undertaken before any further exploration or large scale mining is considered.

The community is concerned the NSW Government’s existing legislation for approval and operation of mines is inadequate and will not protect the unique groundwater systems of the Liverpool Plains region from the impacts of large-scale underground mining, nor will it take into account the affect on the Murray Darling Basin.

A leaked report from the NSW Dept of Environment & Climate Change stated under the current approval regime for mines in NSW: “… the real economic costs of mining impacts, particularly environmental impacts, are not adequately considered.” (DECC “Coal Mining in NSW” 10/4/2008)

The Southern Coalfield Enquiry, Chaired by Prof. Bruce Hebblewhite, also found that the understanding of damage caused by mining subsidence was full of “knowledge gaps”, and that the NSW Government has “a responsibility to provide improved guidance”.

The NSW Natural Resources Commissioner supports the call for an independent catchment-wide water study.

• For more information on the damage caused by longwall mining, click here.
• For an overview of cumulative impacts of the mining industry, click here.

Land Access Bill 2010

The Keneally Government's Land Access Bill passed in May 2010, overturning a recent Supreme Court decision that upheld Caroona farmers' right to deny BHP Billiton access to their land to explore for coal. This Bill will effectively do the mining industry's bidding by allowing access to the rich farming lands and the state's rare water resources. The NSW government also used the Land Access Bill as cover to grant concessions to the mining industry well beyond the scope of the Supreme Court decision the bill overturned. Follow this link to read more on the Land Access Bill 2010 . . .

Liverpool Plains Environment

The coal exploration area is on the Liverpool Plains at Caroona in the Namoi Valley catchment, which is part of the Murray Darling Basin. The region’s climate, soils, and unique groundwater makes it one of the most fertile and drought-resistant agricultural areas in Australia, and the Namoi surficial (alluvium) groundwater aquifers and surface water flows provide stock, domestic, irrigation and town water supplies for Caroona and neighbouring towns including Quirindi, Gunnedah, Spring Ridge, Curlewis, and the Walhallow Aboriginal Community.

There is currently NO detailed hydrological, spatial mapping of the area which can accurately identify the complex groundwater systems, their geology, and how they interconnect across the region. The community is concerned about the possible destruction or contamination of aquifer systems, subsidence associated with longwall mining, and the risks of toxic mining by-products polluting air, land and waterways. 

Caroona Coal Action Group

CCAG was formed in 2006 by concerned landowners and community members to protect the floodplains, which have been one of Australia’s most productive regions for more than 170 years.

The CCAG is not opposed to mining provided it can be shown that any such mining would not pose unacceptable risks to the surficial (alluvium) groundwater and recharge systems and environment of the region.

CCAG is concerned that the assessment and approval processes for mines outlined in the NSW Mining Act 1992 and the Environmental Planning & Assessment (EP&A) Act 1979 do not:

• properly recognize the increasingly precious nature of groundwater resources
• adequately protect that resource from the risks of large-scale mining
• take into account the cumulative offsite impacts of mine developments in one region

Recent amendments to Part 3(a) of the EP&A Act now provide the Minister with increased powers to approve major developments even if they do not comply with the Planning Department’s own environmental assessments.

Landowners have so far denied access to BHP Billiton for exploration, requesting that all drilling data be collected in an appropriate manner to be available to a fully independent, catchment-wide spatial water study.

Following legal proceedings in the NSW Supreme Court, the NSW Chief Mining Warden has been instructed to “issue reason” for granting the emergency ex parte injunction 18 July against one landowner to allow BHP to drill on his land which caused the local community to set up a blockade that has been in place since.

BHP Billiton’s Position

BHP says it recognizes the importance of the region’s groundwater systems and has committed to not undertake any form of mining which could damage the underground aquifers.

In August 2008, BHP announced it had narrowed its exploration area to exclude the most sensitive parts of the floodplain and would now focus on the ridge country surrounding the plains, yet continues to pursue legal avenues to gain exploration access to the entire EL6505 area.

BHP has conceded that there is no definitive hydrological data to show whether mining under the ridges may also threaten the region’s groundwater systems. BHP’s Stephen David said:

“Does the ridge country connect to the alluvial aquifer? We don’t know.  We are working on the premise they probably aren’t.”  He said (BHP) must determine this “connectivity” before mining. (Newcastle Herald  30.08.2008)

At the December meeting of the Caroona Coal Project Community Consultative Committee, Chaired by Garry West, a report was presented by BHP Billiton’s John Maxwell, stating that by April 09, BHPB will have identified the area proposed for mining, and by August 09, they intend to have a mining proposal in place. 

Although required under the terms of its agreement to consider the feasibility of a coal-fired power station in the area, BHP has consistently denied that it has any intention of having involvement in such a project and that the agreement was poorly worded.

Current Position

In September 2008, Minister Macdonald hosted a meeting between the interested parties to try to resolve the current issues.  The Hon. Pam Allan was appointed as independent Chair to facilitate the negotations and commission a fully independent, catchment-wide spatial water study of the Upper Namoi Catchment.  The working party continues to meet.  To date the study has received a commitment from the Federal Government of $1.5m.

The Caroona community continues blockading any attempt by BHP to access and drill on private land for the purpose of identifying mining sites until the full commissioning of a fully independent, catchment-wide spatial water study.

CCAG says the first step in the independent water study must be to establish definitive baseline data about the water quality and quantity and the current structure and function of the surficial, (alluvium) aquifers, including identification of recharge zones.  

In August 2008, the NSW Govt issued an exploration licence over neighbouring land at Watermark to the Chinese State-owned miner Shenhua. The company paid the NSW Govt $300m for the right to explore for coal with a promise of a further $375m if approval to mine is granted.

The community believe there should be a moratorium on all future exploration licences until such time as the Government has completed a fully independent, catchment wide spatial water study and identified the areas that are suitable for mineral exploration.

 Source: Caroona Coal Action web site: http://www.ccag.org.au/