Community group Quipolly Water Action Group has been granted access to documents on the regulation of groundwater at Whitehaven Coal’s Werris Creek coal mine near the Liverpool Plains.
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The Quipolly Water Action Group, named after a nearby creek, appealed to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal against the Department of Primary Industries Water’s decision to withhold groundwater information.
DPI Water had decided not to act on a previous recommendation from the government’s information commissioner, which ruled the groundwater data should have been made public.
The NSW Environmental Defenders Office, acting for the Quipolly group, appealed to the tribunal against the DPI Water’s decision. DPI cited the information’s commercial and sensitive nature to justify withholding it.
Neighbouring farmers blamed the mine when their bores ran dry in 2015, prompting a call for compensation and the release of documents relating to groundwater monitoring data and relevant correspondence about the issue between Whitehaven, government and independent experts.
Environmental Defenders Office chief executive Sue Higginson said the ruling could increase transparency around government’s auditing of resources projects.
“Naturally we’re delighted for our client. The local community will now be able to find out how well their groundwater is being protected,” Ms Higginson said.
Naturally we’re delighted for our client. The local community will now be able to find out how well their groundwater is being protected.
- Sue Higginson, Environmental Defenders Office
“This is a significant win for everyone in NSW. With the release of this information, we’ll gain invaluable insight into the ways that DPI Water regulates the impacts of coal mines across the state.”
Under compliance regulations state government is required to monitor indicators for extractive industries, which could include groundwater bore measurements or dust emissions, for example.
