Keneally Must Reject Offensive Mining Proposal

Thursday, 23 October 2008 20:28

"This watercourse has already been subjected to some of the worst longwall subsidence damage ever seen in Australia. It comprises 30% of the Woronora supply catchment, which supplies water to the Sutherland Shire and the northern suburbs of Wollongong. Further damage to the Rivulet and nearby upland swamps is guaranteed by the mining scheme and totally unacceptable," said TEC Director Jeff Angel.

In 2004 longwall mining upstream of the new proposal caused the Waratah Rivulet to drain for 2km of it's length and, in the words Sydney Catchment Authority officers, left the Rivulet's feeder swamp "collapsed" and "totally compromised". Prior to being undermined the Rivulet was known to maintain year round surface flow including in periods of extended drought.

In 2007 Peabody admitted at hearings before the recently released Southern Coalfield Inquiry that their environmental strategy was "100 percent reliant" on remediation [their ability to repair the riverbed by injecting grout into some of the thousands of cracks]. But environment groups, along with numerous NSW Government agencies have for some time rejected remediation as a failed policy.

“Protection zones around key natural features are needed now as a matter of urgency."

"Peabody's plans describe avoiding damage to the Rivulet as the 'do nothing' option. A NSW Government approval of this proposal, or anything remotely close to it, will amount to a do nothing approach to environment protection and spinning the roulette wheel for water security," Mr Angel said.

To read TEC dossier 'What happened to the Waratah Rivulet?' or view Waratah Rivulet slideshow visit:
http://www.tec.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=659&Itemid=304