The Dendrobium Coal Mine operated by South 32 is responsible for very damaging impacts in the drinking water catchments of the Avon and Cordeaux Dams. These are the water supply for Wollongong and the Macarthur region of Southwest Sydney. They also are a ‘backup supply’ via the upper canal link to Prospect Reservoir, for the rest of Sydney. This was vital when the 2019-2020 bushfires ravaged the Warragamba Dam catchment, and fouled the dam with debris, ash and algae.
South 32 now have applied for an extension for another 28 years. Here are some of the damage both Water NSW and the Department of Planning Infrastructure and the Environment (DPIE) agree will occur:
- Surface subsidence of more than 2 metres causing cracks in bedrock as wide as 400mm wide, and fractures connecting the surface to the mine hundreds of metres below.
- It will destroy 25 upland swamps, an uncounted number of streams, come to within 300 metres of the edges of the Avon and Cordeaux dams, and to within 1000m of the dam walls, which Water NSW claims is too close.
Water NSW (who manage drinking water supplies) object to the predicted loss of 3.3 Gigalitres per day. On the other hand, DPIE recommends an approval, based on the economic value of the metallurgical coal (from the Bulli and Wongawilli seams), its relationship with domestic steel production, export royalties and its contribution to the regional economy of Wollongong.
The DPIE does not consider alternatives, and some of those immediately feasible are limiting mine widths and longwall mine layout to lessen subsidence, mining Bulli Seam coal nearby but outside the drinking water catchment, (so eliminating the need to mine Area 5 of the Dendrobium area) and changing the Blue Scope blast furnace coal blend, so that the Wongawilli coal from Area 6 of the Dendrobium area is not required.
The DPIE economic case for the project is based on a consultant’s report (BAEconomics) that says of its own methodology; it “rang key stakeholders“ on 25/3/20, but could do no “face to face meetings” because of the “Covid 19 crisis”, and further, “some of the affected companies have only been prepared to provide limited data.”
If you care about the long term security of our water supplies, and value the water of 2 dams, so pure that it requires little treatment, and therefore can be delivered to us at less cost, and largely as a gift from nature so long as we protect it, please make an objection.
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