Whitehaven Coal is seeking approval to extend its proposed Vickery coal mine, to extract more than double the amount of coal per annum originally approved by the state government, and increase its mine footprint that will include a new open cut pit that is believed to be within 500m of the Namoi River.
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The company gained approval for the project in 2014, but wants to ramp up the mine to 10 million tonnes of coal per annum (mtpa) - an increase from the original 4.5 mtpa - over 25 years; build a Coal Handling Preparation Plant (CHPP); train load-out facility; rail loop and spur; mine offices and workshops; increase the area mined by 970 hectares; realign roads and partly close Braymont Road.
The move has sparked concerns from nearby landowners, who are worried about the potential impacts on the river system, the environment and the aquifers they depend on for farming.
Farmers Dave and Janet Watt, who live close to the mine site, fear the project has slipped under the radar due to the spotlight on the Caroona and Shenhua projects and want to make the community aware of the new plans.
The addition of a new open cut pit near the river and part of the property ‘Kurrembede’, where it is believed Dorothea Mackellar penned part of the iconic poem My Country, is of great concern, along with water impacts.
“Farmers rely on that river. It’s our livelihood,” Janet Watt said.
“We’re really worried about the impact the mine may have on groundwater and the river system.
“Once you destroy it, it’s destroyed forever.”
There are also fears about the effect of the rail line.
“It’s on the floodplain and it will divert and hold up floodwater. If it holds it up, once it breaks out, it will erode soil and cause devastating impacts to farms,” Dave Watt said.
It’s understood there are 12 rural properties on the western side of the Namoi River that have houses within six kilometres of the proposed mine, which is yet to be built.
The Watts have also raised the issue of the use of river and groundwater needed for the new CHPP and watering roads as well as the potential disposal of excess surfacewater through licensed discharge points.
Unlike Whitehaven’s first approved Vickery proposal, this extended project requires federal government approval because it was determined in April that the mine will impact on threatened species, communities and water.
The Department of the Environment’s Environmental Reporting Tool (ERT) identifies that 20 listed threatened species and five listed ecological communities may be within five kilometres of the proposed project area.
The department considers that there are “likely to be significant impacts” to the regent honeyeater, swift parrot and koala. There is some risk there “may” be impacts to the corben’s long-eared bat, large-eared pied bat, large pied bat and murray cod.
Whitehaven has only submitted a preliminary environmental assessment (EA) at this stage and was issued a set of requirements (SEARs) by the state government earlier this year. This will identify any further matters that will need to be addressed in the company’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
In the preliminary document, it states there are potential impacts on local and regional groundwater resources and surfacewater.
A Whitehaven spokesperson said “We know that community members and local landholders want assurances that the project will not adversely impact water resources or fauna, because we’ve already started speaking with these groups as part of our ongoing local stakeholder consultations”.
“What we have said, in that context, is that the Vickery extension will be the subject of detailed, independent, impact assessments across a whole range of areas, including groundwater and surface water modelling.”
Some of this work is nearing completion, however the company said in other areas there is still more work to be done.
“What is a fact, is that the NSW Government will only approve the extension project when it is satisfied that we have addressed those matters that we are required to address by legislation, in addition to demonstrating we have listened to, and properly responded to, any concerns and questions from the local community,” the spokesperson said.
The Vickery mine will employ up to 500 workers during construction and have an operational workforce of 450.
To view the full preliminary assessment of the Vickery extension project visit: http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=7480
