THE clock has been stopped on the approval process for Shenhua’s controversial Watermark mega open cut coal mine in the Liverpool Plains.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt today flew up to the Liverpool Plains to announce the approval process for Watermark had been halted to allow federal advisory body, the Independent Expert Scientific Panel (IESC), to review the project.
“It will take as long as it takes,” Mr Hunt said. As federal Environment Minister he holds the ultimate decision on Shenhua’s Watermark application.
Shenhua plans to dig a 10 million tonne per annum open cut coal mine in ridge country above the Breeza Plain. At issue for farmers is fear of significant impact to groundwater resources on some of the most productive cropping country in Australia.
Liverpool Plains producers are unconvinced by the studies prepared by Shenhua, which said draw-down on aquifers would be modest and interconnectivity between groundwater systems would be limited.
Mr Hunt said he had referred the project to the IESC in response to locals’ concerns and requests from Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson and Federal MP for New England Barnaby Joyce.
“There is no substitute for getting your hands in the dirt, literally feeling the dirt and hearing the stories from people on the land.
“I have stopped the clock on the Shenhua project to seek additional advice on protections for water resources from the best experts on groundwater in the country.
“That was not just in response to request from the community… but also because it was it was the right thing to do in terms of the science. You never take risks with water.”
A determination will now almost certainly fall after the March 28 NSW Election, as the next meeting of the IESC is not until April.
Mr Hunt will apply the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, including Water Trigger law championed by former independent MP Tony Windsor.
The Water Trigger legislation was designed to assess the impacts of large gas and coal projects on water resources.
Mr Hunt today toured farms surrounding the proposed Watermark site with Mr Joyce and Mr Anderson, who praised the raised scrutiny for groundwater under the Water Trigger.
“I have always been concerned about the claim that the hard rock and alluvial water had no connectivity and was confident in calling for greater examination of the water flows would lead to a better process.
“The people of the region can now be confident that if this project is to proceed it will only do so after being shown to be totally safe to the water, lands and people around it.”
Mr Joyce said the Water Trigger laws will deliver a “vastly better result” than the NSW approval process and allow “an opportunity to ventilate the concerns of the people of the Liverpool Plains”.
NSW Farmers president Fiona Simson, a prominent opponent of Watermark, welcomed the oversight of the IESC and said it creates an opportunity for further community opposition.
“We think there has been a massive policy failure from the State government," she said.
“NSW Famers put forward many concerns over this project that have just been carried through the whole state process without any resolution.
“This referral will show people that the federal process is more robust and the Water Trigger is actually working.
“Now the IESC has the opportunity to look at the data to get more information and it will be the beginning of whole lot more work for the community."
Mike Foley
Senior journalist for The Land.
Senior journalist for The Land.
