THE final hearing on the controversial proposed mine on the Liverpool Plains has been forced to start a day early and stretch over two days in response to overwhelming community interest.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The NSW Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) will convene in Gunnedah today from 2pm to hear final submissions on Shenhua Watermark’s mining plans, a day ahead of schedule.
The Chinese company is vying for approval to construct the open-cut mine at Breeza, about 25km south-east of Gunnedah, in the hopes of extracting up to 268 million tonnes of coal, but community members have spent about $500,000 fighting the project.
Among the speakers will be former independent politician Tony Windsor, who said his primary concern is the risk the potential mine poses to vital groundwater.
Mr Windsor stressed he was neither pro- nor anti-mining, but held grave fears for the far-reaching problems that could result from any damage to the extensive groundwater system.
“We have very little knowledge of what could happen in those systems to cause an adverse impact,” Mr Windsor said.
“If, in the case of that mine, something disastrous does go wrong, what are the potential ramifications?
“A lot of farmers go to the soil, but if the water profile is disturbed, that could have an impact not only on the people who live there, but also people many kilometres away in the Murray-Darling system.
“I don’t think anybody has done an appropriate risk assessment of that water profile.”
Shenhua has said the project would generate hundreds of jobs and the company is confident that, having studied the area’s complex groundwater systems, the mining project would not impact agriculture.
A host of other speakers will be making their views heard before the independent, three-person panel, including Shenhua, the Liverpool Plains Shire Council, the Lock the Gate Alliance and local landholders.
Traditional owners and indigenous elders from Red Chief Local Aboriginal Land Council will also be present to voice their concerns on the divisive billion-dollar mine, along with NSW Farmers, Caroona Coal Action Group, and the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
The PAC meeting will be held at the Gunnedah Services and Bowling Club from today at 2pm, and will reconvene tomorrow from 9am.
The state government requires the panel to deliver its verdict by January 20 next year.
