WE ARE seriously disappointed with the release of the Planning Assessment Commission’s (PAC’s) review report for the Shenhua Watermark Coal Project on the Liverpool Plains, released last week.
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The PAC considers the mine is approvable despite it acknowledging large parts of the title area forming some of the most precious agricultural land and water resources in NSW and indeed Australia.
One of the key issues we raised in our submissions is the adequate protection of water resources.
This means using the best available science and taking no chances when it comes to the potential to cause disastrous consequences to not only the health and viability of agriculture but for every community member.
As part of its report, the PAC states it has been advised the water impacts of the project are expected to be manageable.
For precious, rare and essential natural resources, this is simply not good enough.
Something being manageable does not even come close to making it advisable.
As the PAC reported, the NSW Office of Water acknowledged there is always some level of uncertainty in any modelling undertaken, but emphasised the model is not a static piece of work and it would be refined over time as monitoring results become available.
Again, we cannot see how it is acceptable to decide after the fact that the modelling was not adequate.
The PAC also identified serious gaps and incorrect information in the water data put forward in the application.
It is critical that these resources in this highly agricultural area are protected and it’s not just lip service as we see so often.
The current government gave steadfast commitments to protect agricultural land and water.
It’s despicable we have so many promises, a Strategic Regional Land Use Policy, with mapping, new codes of practice and policy papers, environmental assessment processes, the Gateway process, and indeed the PAC, and yet, the outcome is not the one that was committed to.
There is still no means to carry out the purpose of protecting land and water in even the most widely acknowledged and most highly productive agricultural land, with reliable water and rich fertile soils.
We are calling on government to display the leadership the community desperately needs and have the courage to act when enough is enough.