The Caroona Coal Action Group (CCAG) is petitioning federal politicians to meet with them about a new report they commissioned on Shenhua coal mine's water modelling.
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At a press conference in Breeza on Wednesday, CCAG addressed residents and media about the "ramifications" of the report by the University of NSW, which found "highly significant inconsistencies" in the data Shenhua submitted in the development's Environmental Impact Statement.
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CCAG chairwoman Susan Lyle told the NVI they had requested meetings with a number of high-profile politicians, including Agriculture and Water Minister David Littleproud, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson, and would request that "this new science" be referred to the Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development (IESC).
Ms Lyle said they would ask "how are they going to take this forward, because this is important science, and they need to be aware of that".
CCAG member and farmer Graeme Norman said the report showed that the mine would have a much greater impact on groundwater than Shenhua's modelling suggested.
"The bottom line is that in their models, they basically suggest there's between 100 and 1000 times water stored underground than there actually is ... [which] means that the extent of the drawn-down and the impact area of the increased draw-down will be larger," Mr Norman said.
"And that will affect everybody associated with using any sort of groundwater, whether it's irrigation, stock or domestic household.
"The other effect ... is that the 25,000 tonnes of salt produced in the mine every year will be making its way into the agricultural ecosystem."
In light of the report released on Tuesday, Ms Lyle called on the federal government to retract its conditional approval of the mine and insist that the project is "independently reviewed".
"We have never accepted that mining below the aquifer would result in zero harm for our groundwater," she said.
"We've had experts support us, but we have never been able to get support from the powers that be.
"This investigative report and the work behind all the science, we believe, should have been done by governments and not at the cost of the Liverpool Plains farmers.
"We're going through the worst drought in living memory and to damage our water at this stage - or at any stage - would be unforgivable."
Mrs Lyle said it was imperative that the report be taken into account when Shenhua submitted its water management plan to the federal government.
"They would be failing their duty of care if they do not do that. That's what we want to get through to them. They'd be negligent," she said.
"We're very hopeful notice will be taken."
We're going through the worst drought in living memory and to damage our water at this stage - or at any stage - would be unforgivable.
- Susan Lyle, Caroona Coal Action Group
CCAG said it was also vital for reports to be appraised by independent parties, not companies that "have a vested interest in the data".
"The government continually reminds us, whenever we bring this up, they say: 'It's all about the science. The science has got to stack up'," farmer John Hamparsum said.
"Well, we've just proven the science doesn't stack up and we have to hold the government accountable to their words.
"If they want to make it all about the science, let's make it about the science."
Shenhua was approached for comment.
