THE Bickham Coal Company launched its Water Resource Assessment and Draft Water Management Plan last Wednesday, October 21 after being lodged with the Department of Planning in April.
Bickham was required to complete a detailed water study as part of an assessment process set down by the department.
The water study will be on exhibition for six weeks and Bickham Coal Company will also be holding information sessions in Murrurundi on Wednesday, November 11 and Thursday, November 12 and in Scone on Thursday, November 12.
There are a number of interest groups in the Upper Hunter that are concerned with the potential impact the proposed mine would have on local waterways, notably the Pages River and Kingdon Ponds.
Upper Hunter Progress Association member Steve Guihot said he thought it was terrific that the company had produced such a comprehensive review for public scrutiny.
After a quick preliminary read of the lengthy and complex document, Mr Guihot said he was pleased the company acknowledged that the proposed mine could effect the Pages River and Kingdon Ponds.
“Local irrigators on Kingdon Ponds and the Pages River have been saying that for a long time,” Mr Guihot said.
“There are some scary things in it,” he said.
One of Mr Guihot’s concerns was that ground water levels could take 100 years to return to equilibrium after the mine has finished.
“I won’t see it and my children wont see it, but my grand children might which is extremely scary.”
Mr Guihot said he along with several others were planning to engage an expert for further testing.
“They are saying contamination is negligible,” he said.
“But I would like to have some other expert verify or not, that claim.”
Bickham Coal Mine Action Group vice-president Peter Haydon said he has been
arguing for nine years to get to this stage.
“Their previous water reports were of such concern that the State Government has made them do these reports because of the potential risks they could do to the Pages River and Kingdon Ponds,” Mr Haydon said.
“The other concern is being high up here in the catchment,” he said.
“It must be remembered that the towns and villages of Murrurundi, Blandford, Gundy, Scone and Aberdeen rely on water form the Pages River and the Kingdon Ponds.
“And we must not put Scone’s position as Horse Capital of Australia in jeopardy.”
Mr Haydon said the Bickham Coal Mine Action Group has not had a chance to completely analyse the water report yet, but they will and the group is encouraging as many people as possible to send in submissions to the Department of Planning.
The issue of the Bickham Water studies also appeared at the Upper Hunter Shire Council Ordinary Meeting on Monday night.
The council agenda had three items, that the council note the exhibition period for the Bickham Coal Project – Water Resource Assessment and Draft Water Management Plan, the documents be referred to the Development and Environmental Services Committee for further consideration and recommendation to council at an extraordinary meeting if required and the council reaffirm the engagement of appropriate consultants to review the document for a report to be completed and submitted to council before the close of the exhibition period.
Councillor Pam Seccombe also made an amendment to the motion and said the mine was a concern for the shire and that she would like the council to make a statement about the issue and to reaffirm that the council is very concerned about the effect it might have on the Pages River.
The other councillors supported Cr Seccombe’s motion and Cr Errol Bates said he had been in council for a while and saw the start of the Bickham campaign.
“At first water was not a concern as far as the company was concerned,” he said.
“Bickham has now acknowledged there is a connection between aquifer and river,” he said.
“The thing that concerns me is the catchment is at the head of the stream.
“Maybe in the future we won’t see problems with water, but the next generation probably will.”
Cr Bates also said he wanted a consultant to look at the validity and accuracy of the reports and the reliability of any models mentioned in the reports.
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