Rivers of Shame
- Seven major rivers and numerous creeks in NSW, named below, have been permanently
damaged by mining operations which have been allowed to go too
close to, or under, river beds. Also some rivers are used as
channels for saline and acid waste water pumped out from mines.
- Many more are under threat right now. Rivers SOS is concerned that Minister for
Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, will continue to give Government
approval for mining operations which will wreck several more of our
rivers. Minister for Planning, Frank Sartor, and Environment
Minister Bob Debus are also involved in these decisions, as are a
range of relevant government agencies (EPA, Fisheries, DIPNR, SCA,
etc.) on the Interagency Review Committee. This group gives
recommendations concerning underground mine plans to Ian Macdonald,
but has no further say in his final decision.
- The damage
involves multiple cracking of river bedrock, ranging from hairline
cracks to cracks up to several centimetres wide, causing water loss
and pollution as ecotoxic chemicals are leached from the fractured
rocks. Aquifers may often be breached. Satisfactory remediation is
not possible. In addition, rockfalls along mined river gorges are
frequent.
- The rapidly rising price of coal and the royalties gained from expanding mines for a
cash-strapped government make it all too tempting for the Iemma
Government to sacrifice natural heritage for the sake of short term
gains.
- Rivers SOS is a coalition of 30 groups which have joined together with the sole aim
of campaigning for the NSW Government to mandate a safety zone of at least 1 km
round all rivers in NSW, to protect them from damage being caused by mining operations.
Such a safety zone is surely not much to ask, given the huge profits being made from our coal.
- The following rivers/creeks have been damaged by, or are under threat from, mining
- mostly coal mines, either underground or open cut, therefore we
divide areas below according to the location of NSW’s five
major coalfields:
Southern Coalfield:
- Lower Cataract River, Upper Georges River: very badly cracked, drained
and polluted
- Stokes Creek, Bargo River, Upper Nepean River, Flying Fox Creek, Wongawilli Creek,
Native Dog Creek, Waratah Rivulet: cracked, polluted.
- Upper Georges River and Upper Nepean River: also acting as conduits for
polluted and saline wastewater pumped out from 3 mines.
- Camp Gully Creek, Hacking River: coal wash reject leaches into creek
from collapsed waste dump, then into river: creek and river often
turn black.
- Upper Cataract River (part of Sydney’s water supply), Upper
Nepean River, Upper Georges River, Bargo River, Mallaty Creek,
Ousedale Creek, Leafs Gully Creek, Lily Pond Gully Creek and several
unnamed creeks: all under immediate threat from mine plans now seeking approval
and going far too close to these river/creek beds in all cases.
- Duck Creek, Kembla Creek and several unnamed creeks and a hanging
swamp are all under threat from the new Dendrobium mine near Cordeaux Dam.
Western Coalfield:
- Goulburn River: has been diverted into an 8 km manmade channel,
impacting on base flow and water quality, in order to facilitate mining operations.
Is now under threat from further operations that will damage the beauty spot
known as “The Great Dripping Wall” in the Goulburn River Gorge.
- Farmers Creek: cracked, had to be paved with cement where it runs through
Lithgow. Pumpouts of 15ML/day from Centennial mine into Farmers Creek and the
Wollongambe River, badly polluting the water. Iron and manganese is being deposited
on the bed of Farmers Creek and the Wollongambe River
- Cox’s River: base flows impacted by mining, hanging swamps damaged,
lack of environmental flows, rising salinity and alkalinity due to mine dewatering.
Long Swamp, at the source of Cox’s River, dying probably through longwall
mining
- Moolarben Creek, Cumbo Creek, Wilpinjong Creek:
in headwaters of Goulburn River, all under threat from open cut mine
development. Wilpinjong may cease to flow altogether. Cumbo Creek and other
unnamed watercourses to be “re-located.”
- Lett River, Hartley Vale: cracked, flow ceased, platypus deaths.
- Neubeck’s Creek: contamination and erosion of banks from open cut mining
- Kangaroo Creek: rising salinity from mine dewatering (Angus Place Colliery)
- Jew’s Creek: rising salinity from mine dewatering (Baal Bone Colliery)
- Daylight Creek: Former Sunny Corner mine site contaminated creek with lead,
cadmium, copper, zinc and arsenic
Newcastle/Hunter Coalfield:
- Hunter River: salinity due to multiple mines in catchment area
- Bowman’s Creek: Ravensworth, flow disappeared due to cracking
- Diega Creek: Wakefield, flow disappeared due to cracking
- South Wambo Creek: Bulga, flow disappeared due to cracking
- Glennies Creek, Eui Creek, Fishery Creek, Black Creek, Foy Brook: cracked and polluted.
- Pages River: Now under threat
- Kingdon Ponds: Under threat
Gunnedah Coalfield:
- Mooki River: threat from BHP Billiton’s massive new Caroona development.
- Upper Namoi River: upper Namoi region groundwater, used by farmers, also threatened
by the above.
Compiled with
information from all groups in the NSW Rivers SOS alliance.
Caroline Graham
46309421 – Secretary, Rivers SOS
Updated: September 2006