Issue 177
6 November 2019
Your independent community newspaper - Ph: 4325 7369
Drinking Water Catchments Protection Bill could see the end of Wallarah 2 T
he timely release of a State Government Inquiry, revealing adverse effects of mining in the Sydney drinking water catchment, should add significant clout to the Central Coast Drinking Water C a t c h m e n t s Protection Bill 2019, introduced by NSW Greens. Central Coast Greens MLC, Abigail Boyd, introduced the Bill to the NSW Parliament Upper House in October and it is due to be debated on November 21. “If passed, this Bill will protect our drinking water here on the Central Coast and prevent the Wallarah 2 coal mine from proceeding,” she said. Boyd, also the NSW Greens spokesperson on Mining, Coal and Coal Seam Gas, said the Bill would protect the Central Coast drinking water by imposing a moratorium on mining and mining related activities in the following catchments: Mangrove Mountain Creek dam and weir, Mooney Mooney dam, Ourimbah Creek, Porters Creek, Wyong River as well as land where surface water drains to those places. “The Wallarah 2 coal mine will consume gigalitres of our drinking water supply
and threatens its contamination, with clean up possibly taking up to 30 years,” said Boyd. “It poses significant threats to the waterways that form the Central Coast water supply system at a time when our water reserves are already being depleted at an alarming rate across the state. “The Sydney and Illawarra water catchments already have the benefit of special protections and are within the remit of Water NSW. “So why not the Central Coast? “The Liberal-National
The Community Environmental AlIiance rally in Wyong, protesting the Wallarah 2 coal mine Government defends its promise that the Liberals and ensure that mining mining approvals process would not approve leases and exploration despite it having led to Wallarah 2. permits reflect that a longwall mine being “Protecting the Central common sense’. permitted in the drinking Coast from Wallarah 2 ‘No ifs, not buts’, a water catchment of over was the subject of an guarantee, said Boyd. 340,000 people. election promise from the “Prior to the 2011 “They defend that Liberal Party in 2007 and election it was also stated process despite it 2011, and the Labor Party in Liberal Party policy resulting in a mining in 2015. that there would be no company being allowed to “In a statement that coal mining in the Wyong discharge recycled mine the Liberal Party will not water catchment valleys. water into that drinking be allowed to forget, “Almost a decade water catchment. on February 28, 2008, after the ‘no ifs, no “Nowhere else in the Barry O’Farrell, (then buts’ guarantee given world would this be leader of the Opposition), to the Central Coast allowed to happen.” addressing a rally against community, in the face During her speech the Wallarah 2 coal mine, of sustained community introducing the Bill, Boyd said the next Liberal opposition and the slammed the Liberal Government: ‘will ensure evidence mounting Party over the approval, that mining will not occur about the dangers of bringing up Barry on the Coast or in any invasive, destructive, O’Farrell’s now infamous water catchment area water intensive longwall
mining, this Bill gives the government the chance to finally make good on the Liberal’s promise,” Boyd continued. Boyd also criticised the Liberals for putting the onus on the mine operator, Kores, to ensure the catchment is not polluted. “The government will say that the 200-plus conditions placed on the mine, that rely on Kores to do the right thing and ensure they don’t accidently pollute or deplete the drinking water, is sufficient protection.
Office: 3 Amy Close, Wyong Phone: 4325 7369 Mail: PO Box 1056, Gosford 2250 E-mail: editorial@centralcoastnews.net Website: www.centralcoastnews.net
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