The mining company released the plan for its Caroona Coal Project yesterday, addressing 80 farmers at a community consultative meeting in Quirindi.

RELATED COVERAGE:  BHP defends claims mine will impact on lucrative farmland

The mine plan is part of BHP Billiton’s Gateway submission to the State Government which is the first step in the mining approvals process. 

The company says it shows the underground mine will be developed on Doona Ridge and Nicholas Ridge; will not impact on agricultural activity productivity or strategic agricultural land; required less than eight per cent of the ridged country for surface infrastructure like buildings and roads, and generate up to 400 full-time jobs at peak production and up to 600 jobs during construction.

“The Gateway is the first of several assessments that will need to be completed before the proposed underground coal mine can be developed at Caroona,” BHP Billiton NSW Energy Coal Asset President Peter Sharpe said. 

“In preparation for the next approval stage, BHP Billiton will continue to work with the community and relevant stakeholders over the coming months to develop a comprehensive environmental impact statement for the project.

“This process will help us identify and better understand any potential social and environmental impacts associated with the proposal and explore ways to minimise these.”

The mine plan however, has drawn strong criticism from Liverpool Plains landholders who fear critical water aquifers are under threat.

Caroona Coal Action Group spokesperson Tim Duddy said despite the miner’s consequent assurance it won’t construct on the floodplain, the company is planning to construct on areas marked as floodplain under the Mooki River Water Sharing Plan, which forms part of the Water Management Act 2000.

“They also said they will not harm deep alluvial aquifers, but they intend to harm consolidated rock aquifers on which a lot of agricultural businesses rely on and draw irrigation water from,” Mr Duddy said.

“Some of those aquifers yield up to approximately 300,000 litres an hour and they’re contemplating having draw downs of more than 160 metres in those aquifer structures.

“The mine plan, with it’s proximity to the floodplain, is a broken promise for everything those miners have ever promised this community and the government and everyone else.

“If the government doesn’t stand up to them and prevent that from occurring the way it’s proposed, it shows very clearly they are planning for the Liverpool Plains to no longer be a productive farming area.”

Mr Duddy said he believed BHP Billiton would build the mine in the centre of the Doona State Forest, but the plan extends to the northern face of the Doona Ridge –  the pit head being 7-800 metres  

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WEDNESDAY: BHP Billiton has released a proposed mine plan for its Caroona Coal Project. 

The mine plan is part of BHP Billiton’s Gateway submission to the NSW Government which is the first step in the mining approvals process.

The submission will also include a preliminary assessment of the potential impacts of the project on the agricultural values of the land. 

NSW Energy Coal Asset President Peter Sharpe said the mine plan, which the company says would not impact agricultural productivity in the area, confirms BHP Billiton’s commitment to protect water resources and agricultural land on the Liverpool Plains. 

“The preliminary environmental studies undertaken for the Gateway submission indicate that the proposed underground mine will not impact the alluvial irrigation aquifers essential for agricultural production in the area,” he said. 

BHB Billiton said the Gateway submission also indicates that the proposed underground mine would: 

-  Be developed on Doona Ridge and Nicholas Ridge; 

- Bot impact on the agricultural productivity of strategic agricultural land in the area; 

- Require less than eight per cent of the ridged country for surface infrastructure, such as buildings, coal stockpiles and access roads; 

- Generate up to 400 full-time jobs at peak production and up to 600 during construction. 

“The Gateway is the first of several assessments that will need to be completed before the proposed underground coal mine can be developed at Caroona,” Mr Sharpe said. 

“In preparation for the next approval stage, BHP Billiton will continue to work with the community and relevant stakeholders over the coming months to develop a comprehensive environmental impact statement for the project. 

“This process will help us identify and better understand any potential social and environmental impacts associated with the proposal and explore ways to minimise these. 

“We will only mine at Caroona if we can satisfy the strict environmental requirements for each stage of assessment and show real benefits of the project for the economy and community,” he said. 

The Gateway process is an independent, scientific and upfront assessment of how mining production proposals will impact the agricultural values of the land on which it is proposed. 

The mine plan being submitted for the Gateway assessment was presented to the Caroona Coal Project Community Consultative Committee on Wednesday. 

The mine plan can be found on the Caroona Coal Project Community Consultative Committee website at ww.caroonacoalccc.com.au.