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Media Releases |
Media Release - Department of Planning Sydney: 23 July 2009 STATEMENT REGARDING THE WORONORA RESERVOIR In June this year, the NSW Government approved the Metropolitan Coal Project following a rigorous assessment, including an inquiry by the Planning Assessment Commission (PAC).
Because of the size of the project and the fact it was technically complicated, it was assessed by the NSW Government under Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.
In reviewing the proposal the PAC examined the likely impacts on drinking water supply, and concluded the likelihood of water by-passing the Woronora Reservoir as a result of subsidence was ‘very low’.
The PAC also found that the comparative depth of the mine (400-560 metres) and the relatively narrow long-walls (133-163 metres) means the subsidence impacts of the project on the Reservoir are low and manageable.
Any suggestion the Government ignored advice from the Sydney Catchment Authority is misleading and wrong.
The Sydney Catchment Authority raised issues early in the assessment process, before substantial changes were made to the mining plan to protect key areas from subsidence impacts.
Of course the Sydney Catchment Authority’s issues were taken into account by the Department of Planning as well as the PAC which reviewed the plan.
For instance, changes were made to protect the Waratah Rivulet and Eastern Tributary (which flow into the Woronora Reservoir) from subsidence impacts. As a result of these changes, some 8.6 million tonnes of coal – nearly three years worth, with an estimated market value of $1-2 billion – will not be mined.
Further the conditions in the Government’s approval require the company to monitor the impact on the water supply to ensure that it is negligible.
The project supports 1,950 jobs, 700 in the Illawarra region alone, including direct continued employment for 320 people at the mine.
Key outcomes from the assessment process are that:
1. The Department of Planning and PAC concluded that the risk of mining impacting on the Woronora Reservoir was ‘very low’.
2. The mining company is required to monitor the impact to make sure that this is the case and there will be independent audits of the mine every three years.
3. If monitoring or auditing shows an impact anything other than negligible, the company would not be complying with the approval given by the Government. It would then have to modify its mine plan until it did comply.
The NSW Government’s approval also includes recommendations from the PAC that the proponent, and the Sydney Catchment Authority, develop a specific surface and groundwater monitoring and investigation program to analyse and report on any potential impacts.
Approval of the Metropolitan Coal Project was only given after an open and thorough assessment of the proposal was undertaken and the original proposal was amended and strict conditions imposed.
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