Angry farmers and residents have called on Duralie Coal to use some of its profits from record coal prices to fix water storage problems predicted by locals but ignored by mine management.
More than 120 concerned residents filled Stroud’s School of Arts Hall on Saturday to learn about Duralie Coal’s plans to dump waste water into Mammy Johnson’s River.
NSW Farmers Stroud Branch, Johnson’s Creek Conservation Committee and the Barrington-Gloucester-Stroud Alliance organised Saturday’s meeting to inform residents of Duralie Coal’s request to the state government for permission to discharge up to 500 million liters of waste mine water into the river over two years.
The mine’s waste water storage dam is near capacity and the irrigation scheme designed to dispose of dirty water is failing due to waterlogged soils.
Stroud farmer Doyne Lanham detailed how local farmers had warned mine management that water storage on the site was inadequate.
“Locals told them they were wrong, experts told them they were right, and now we will pay the price for them getting themselves into deep water,” Mr Lanham said.
“Let them use their profits to fix their mistakes. It’s their problem, not ours.”
Mr Lanham’s sentiments were echoed by retired mine manager Max Smith who said discharging into waterways was not just about quantity, but quality.
“It is high time that the necessary work to ensure that mines produce pure, clean water was included in every tonne of coal they sell,” Mr Smith said.
Great Lakes Councillor Karen Hutchinson told the meeting that local government had been “hamstrung” by the state government in relation to operations like Duralie.
“People ask us whether we were consulted about this and I am here to tell you that there is no consultation,” Cr Hutchinson said.
Cr Hutchinson said Great Lakes Council will seek to establish a special committee to investigate the proliferation of mining proposals in the area.
Planning consultant and local resident Brian Eastoe believes the key issue is that consents have been set for the mine and should not be reneged on.
Mr Eastoe is helping local groups take that argument to the state government authorities responsible for the mine’s license.
Great Lakes Councillor and board member of Midcoast Water and the Hunter Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority, John Weate, said he was extremely concerned that Duralie Coal was planning to depart from its consent conditions.
“I will be taking this up as strongly as possible at every level that the consent conditions not be varied,” Cr Weate said.
Mine-affected resident Helen Gillard urged locals to have the courage not to be put off their investigations into mine activities.
“By all means do the monitoring, but we must make sure that we get independence into the process.”
Local dairy farmer Rod Williams urged those attending the meeting to examine their own backyards.
“We are all part of the problem and we have to take responsibility for that,” Mr Williams said.
The meeting also heard from long-time Upper Hunter coal campaigner Bev Smiles who urged the community to be “ever vigilant” about mining activity in the area.
“You are not alone with these problems. There are communities all over the state, and the country, fighting the same battles who you can learn from and share information with.”
Ms Smiles questioned why mines did not pay for the groundwater that entered mine pits and then was often reused on site.
“Other water users like farmers pay for water so why shouldn’t mines,” Ms Smiles said.
Ms Smiles said she was heartened to see the NSW Farmers’ Association taking such a strong stand on the impacts of mining.
Mine representatives did not attend the meeting.
The NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) is seeking clarification from the Department of Planning on the status of the mine’s consent conditions, which were “a little bit unclear” in relation to riverine discharge.
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