river, longwall mining, georges, o'hares, creek, water,, coal, wedderburn, bhp billiton, damage, iluka, catchment, environmental, rivers, mine, subsidence

Georges River Macarthur - Longwall Mining - Sydney Catchments

Allan Carriage - Aboriginal Heritage: water everyone's future

Allans website reports damage to the SCA Upper Canal, Whale Cave, O'Hares Creek and the Waratah Rivulet, keep looking and watch his list grow.

• Aboriginal Heritage: water everyone's future
• Simpson's Creek - undermined by illawarra Coal
• Whale Cave - undermined by illawarra Coal
• Waratah Rivulet
• When the river runs dry
• O'Hares Creek - area longwall mined by Illawarra Coal
• Simpson's Creek Upper Canal - undermined by illawarra Coal
• Frank Sartor & DECCW - Letters to Frank Sartor and Dept of Environment, Climate Change and Water re Whale Cave and Woronora Catchments (328 kb)

15 May 2010 all water flow ceased in the Georges River Catchment

Macarthur Bushwalkers recorded this event Saturday 15 May. After discovering the lack of water flow in O'Hares Creek we drove to Appin to view Kings Falls at Appin which is part of Georges River Upper Catchment. Finding no water flow there we walked to the BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal dam run off and found a reduced water flow which merges with the river a couple of hundred metres downstream.

The only water flowing into the Georges River was provided by BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal and in the past has been reported as polluted.

The Georges River Catchment we are monitoring covers an area within the boundaries identified by Bulli Tops, Cataract Dam, Appin, Wedderburn, Campbelltown, Kentlyn and Minto.

We have sent a submission to stop mining under the Woronora plateau and its catchment to The Premier, Frank Sartor, Leader of the Opposition and several senators and MP's.

In addition those same documents have been forwarded to the United Nations in Geneva protesting deprivation of water to the flora and fauna of the Woronora Plateau and the people of Sydney, Sutherland Shire and the Illawarra. We are also protesting the deliberate destruction by the NSW government and the mining industry of aboriginal sites, culture and history which belong to a people who migrated to Australia 65.000 years ago, one of the greatest migrations in human history.

To Frank Sartor:

• Submission Frank Sartor2
• Georges River Upper Catchment - Appin - Frank Sartor (2)
• Georges River Upper Catcthment - Simpsons Creek - Frank Sartor
• O'Hares Creek - Woolwash - Frank Sartor

Aboriginal Heritage: Water - Everyone's Future

The Macarthur Bushwalkers welcomes Allan Carriage to our ranks. Allen is a tribal elder of the Wadi Wadi people, traditional owners of the Woronora Plateau, its rivers, swamps and catchment.

Allan approached us with a request to become involved with our Georges River Macarthur Project. Allen's personal view of "Aboriginal Heritage: Water - Everyone's Future" struck a chord and fits well within the Georges River Macarthur concept of informing the people of NSW about the threat to their water supply.

Wednesday 19 May - Allen led us on a trip to a dry and very badly damaged creek bed near Appin which we weren't aware existed. Absolute shock describes our initial reaction to the creek which is so badly cracked that water ceased to flow along its length a long time ago. The creek at one time was part of the Nepean River catchment. It is a sharp reminder of what is now happening to the Upper Georges River and O'Hares Creek on the Woronora Plateau right now.

There was far too much damage, too many cracks in the river bed to count. Allan informed us of two caves, we visited one and discover artifacts of the Wadi Wadi people and other tribes who have occupied this location over the years. Allan told us that both politicians and mining executives had visited the site with him in the past.

We asked Allan if the cave had the same significance to the Wadi Wadi people as the churches and cathedrals have to the white man. The answer was yes, how would the white man feel if a longwall damaged St Andrews in Sydney? The spirit of the rivers, creeks, the land, everything is part of their religion.

Members of the Macarthur Bushwalkers visited this site again on Saturday 23 May 2010 taking many more photographs as we ventured down the gorge to the second cave and beyond. These photographs are reserved for the Aboriginal Heritage: Water - Everyone's Future website now in development.

Prior to our walk, we met with Allan at Menangle for a discussion at the home of a man who is preparing his home for the longwall to come through. We assisted him by taking many photographs of his home and land to be used as evidence after his home is damaged when the longwall passes underneath. We asked him if we could speak to his neighbours. He told us they were in the negotiation stage with the mining company and wouldn't talk to us. He did say "you can't help me and I have no option but to negotiate with the mining company, you must save the rivers, we cannot repair them."

Our focus is on water but it is very hard not to become involved with these people who are losing their homes.

Environmental Damage - Lack of Publicity

It appears that the only organisation focusing on water flow is the Macarthur Bushwalkers. This lack of publicity will be rectified in the coming weeks with the creation of the Aboriginal Heritage: Water - Everyone's Future website for Allan Carriage which is already in development with publication planned for June.

Longwall Mine Buffer Zones to protect rivers, creeks and swamps

On Saturday 15 May we discovered that there was NO water flowing along O'Hares Creek into Georges River. The same applied to the Upper Georges River from Appin. We did however find water flowing from BHP Billitons dam.

We have published photographs - see Georges River runs dry - is it too late?

Despite our invitations via email to politicians of both major parties and direct invitations to the leaders we have received no response. We personally emailed Kristina Keneally and the Leader of the Opposition to put on their hard hats, grab a water bottle and come and see for themselves.

Kristina Keneally blocked a mine application in the Hunter Valley we are told because of water issues - Premier blocks mine in Hunter Valley.

• We ask Kristina Keneally "has horse racing got a higher value to Australia than water?
• Why is the Hunter Valley water more important than the Woronora Plateau?
• Are the catchments of the Woronora Plateau with their dependant population plus rare and endangered flora and fauna of less value than horses?

Kristina Keneally has proved to be no friend to the people of Macarthur ignoring our pollution issues and dumping various potentially harmful industries in an area already subjected to Sydneys pollution.

The Woolwash photographed 15 May 2010 - Water flow had ceased from O'Hares Creek which carries 70% of Georges Rivers water
Please visit Georges River runs dry - is it too late? for more photographs and a report

The life cycle of water: the oceans - sun - evaporation - clouds - rainfall - ground water- swamps - creeks - rivers - the oceans

Life Cycle of Water - Nature doesn't create new water. It constantly recycles the same water that existed on the planet billions of years ago.

For some time now BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal has placed advertisements in the local newspapers complaining about "unsupported claims regarding impacts on natural and man-made surface features". Some of these published comments have been made by the Macarthur Bushwalkers and BHP has responded with what they say are the facts..

The following FACTS were published in the Macarthur Chronicle Tuesday 18 May 2010 by BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal:

FACT: If Illawarra Coal adopted a one kilo metre buffer zone from major rivers and streams, the ongoing operation of the Appin and West Cliff mines would be jeopardized.

So what are they saying? Does that single statement fully describe BHP Billiton Illawarra Coals attitude and intentions to our rivers and creeks?

FACT: Illawarra Coal has never mined under O'Hares Creek

Macarthur Bushwalkers have reported that O'Hares Creeks water flow has stopped as it did on Saturday 15 May. The water level dropped over 300 mm in a two week period

One must remember that the mining industry cannot guarantee not to damage a swamp, creek or river bed even if the longwall has a safety zone of 1, 1.5 or even two kilometers between it and the geographical feature.

FACT: There has never been any longwall mining beneath O'Hares Creek

Macarthur Bushwalkers have never said that BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal have mined under O'Hares Creek. We have said that the longwall mining in the catchment is the cause of water loss along O'Hares Creek. We also point out that they are going to going to insert longwall mines ADJACENT to O'Hares Creek for 16 kilometers over 30 years. We obtained this from their submission for the Bulli Coal Seam project. Longwall's will be as as close as 100 metres to O'Hares Creek ? - see BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal Bulli Coal Seam submission map Appin Area 2 extended - Fig 5

We feel that the BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal longwall maps created for their Bulli Coal Seam Project submission show very little detail and are not clear because of their size, they are in.PDF format A4 size. We have drawn the area to be mined onto Topographical maps used by bushwalkers with a scale of 1:25.000. This allows one to grasp the enormity of the area they wish to use. If anyone wishes to view these maps please contact us.

FACT: In 2008 the independent Inquiry into mining in the Southern Coalfields found that longwall mining in the region did NOT impact the quantity or quality of Sydney's drinking water

It is now 2010 and Macarthur Bushwalkers are regularly finding dry creeks and now dry rivers. We do not sit behind desks. We do not use out of date information. We go out with our cameras and photograph the catchment. Perhaps the photographs on this page may make this Independant Inquiry review their decision.

We would be delighted to take the members of the Independent Inquiry of 2008, BHP Billiton executives and the original owners of the land.

Was this newspaper advertisement designed to instill confidence in BHP by the locals? The real issue isn't BHP Billiton, it is the very governments which we voted into power who make the decisions, both federal and state with their dependancy on mining.

The importance of accurate information

The photographs and information on this website prove beyond doubt that the mining industry is destroying the Woronora catchment, its swamps, rivers and along with it Sydneys water supply. We deal in facts, our photographs document the Georges River catchment throughout the the seasons and varying weather conditions.

Our information is updated regularly with new information and photographs being added every month.

The information we provide is not based on theory, graphs or on unproven ideas, we do not publish inaccurate statements. What you see on these pages is obtained on foot or by mountain bike using cameras. We travel the length and breadth of the Georges river catchment from Darkes Forest near the coast to The basin at Kentlyn near Campbelltown.

We are now discovering that unless we have had rain Georges River is dry much of the time. Even though we have always been a country of "drought and flooding rain" the river is now a poor imitation of the beautiful river it once was.We anticipate this situation will get worse as we move into dryer months. Just two years ago the river in this location was only one metre wide in places and we walked over it very easily. The mining industry said low river levels were caused by drought and we accepted it then, but NEVER AGAIN!

Georges River and O'Hares Creek merger at the Woolwash - 24/04/2010

This sand bar seen above wasn't accessible last time we visited the Woolwash, we had to stand in the river to photograph the rapids on O'Hares Creek to the right and off of this photograph.

Only a few kilometers downstream we have the Basin at Kentlyn which figures heavily in our project. it looks pretty much the same with almost no water.

BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal talk about saving and protecting rare and endangered species of flora and fauna in their Bulli Coal Seam submission. Too little too late, it now appears that the urgency now must be to save Georges River and its catchment.

The story of Georges River from the early 80's

My name is Georges River, I was named after King Georges III. I am the longest river flowing from the Woronora catchment with a journey of 96+km before I reach the sea at Botany Bay.
I have two tributaries:

• From the Woronora Plateau water flows down Maddens Creek near Bulli Tops into O'Hares Creek, my major source of water. The flow continues draining water from the the Iluka Swamps via Iluka Creek. The volume increases as the river flows toward Campbelltown. The gorges become deeper and difficult to negotiate but the views are extremely pretty. There is an abundance of animal life as can be seen from the tracks left in the sandy areas. O'Hares Creek flows on until it reaches Wedderburn and merges with Stokes Creek before finally meeting Georges River at the Woolwash between Minto and Wedderburn. (Location 3)
• Georges River Upper Catchment starts near the Cataract Scout camp off Appin road near Cataract Dam. Part of the area is restricted and carries heavy penalties for trespass. The river crosses under Appin road and meanders around the back of Appin merging with the discharge from the BHP Billiton dam run off. The river flows through Myrhnes Hole on its journey past Wedderburn, through Wedderburn Gorge along the back of Minto meeting O'Hares Creek at the Woolwash. Downstream it passes through Appin and Wedderburn, Campbelltown, Freres Crossing, The Basin, and Old Ford Road towards Minto and Glenfield
• Eventually I pass over Liverpool Weir and continue onwards to Botany Bay passing through many Sydney suburbs.
• Today I am used for leisure with people fishing, boating, cruising, water skiing and swimming in my waters.
• I the past I was used for trade and before that for drinking water and survival of aboriginal people and early settlers.
• My upper catchments are home to many species of flora and fauna. some of them rare and endangered.
• The Woronora Plateau has never been subjected to tourism or industry and the waters and swamps are pristine.

Georges River at The Basin Kentlyn

Georges River Kentlyn Easter Monday 05/04/10 after rain the previous week.
View from above the waterfall at the Basin showing total water flow of the immense Woronora catchment

• If my swamps dry out they are vulnerable to bush fire which can destroy them. Eventually other flora will grow there and they will be lost forever.
• My swamps are like a sponge, they hold water which is released over time into my tributaries.
• Longwall mining cracks rock under swamps allowing the water to drain away and swamps to dry out.
• BHP Billiton has already mined under my swamps and intends to do so again.

• O'Hares Creek is reputed to carry up to 75% of my total water supply from the catchments.
• BHP Billiton and other mining companies now longwall mine under my catchments.
• Since longwall started water flow in my rivers has gradually reduced to almost zero throughout the dry seasons.
• Macarthur bushwalkers have now recorded total loss of water flow in both both of my tributaries on several occasions during 2009/10 and almost no water flow on additional occasions during their ongoing project "Georges River Macarthur".
• The BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal Bulli Seam coal project will subject my O'Hares creek tributary to mining disturbance over a distance of 17 kilometers with a time frame of 30 years.

Kings Falls and Georges River Upper Catchment - Appin

The Upper Georges River tributary - ceases to be recognised as a viable source of water for the river

Kings Falls Bridge - There has been no water in this area for some time, BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal say this is caused by drought despite the area experiencing the wettest summer for 10 years and we have photographed the river in flood which quickly dissipated?
One can briefly view this location from a car as it passes over the bridge to enter or exit Appin from the direction of Bulli.
We had intended to photograph this section of the Georges River Upper catchment for posterity over the 15 months of our project but didn't deem it important having previously written the Georges River Upper Catchment off, how wrong we were!

• The photograph below left is taken one week later showing water flow further reduced over Kings Falls.
• The photograph below right shows the water being released from the BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal dam discharge pipe. This pipe we believe is polluted and on many occasions greater than the total flow from both tributaries of Georges River.

• We have discovered that on several occasions almost the entire water flow in Georges River comes from BHP Billiton's Illawarra Coal dam discharge outlet GR976127 Appin Topographical Map 9029-1S.
• People swim in this water downstream at The Woolwash, Freres Crossing, The Basin and the Old Ford Road.
• Some of these locations do not carry pollution warning signs, the Old Ford Road, The Basin, Freres Crossing fall into this category.

The Causeway - Wedderburn Gorge - Upper Georges River Catchment

O' HARES CREEK - the Georges River main water supply

We have observed O'Hares Creek with an almost non-existent water flow several times in 2010.

O'Hares Creek / Stokes Creek water gauges weekend of 12 / 13 March 2010

• The river gauge above left on O'Hares Creek at Wedderburn in recent years received almost the entire flow volume of water from the upper catchment.
• The photograph above right is taken on O'Hares Creek at GR 001163 at the merger with Cobbong Creek. The creek is difficult to access so a telephoto lens was used

The photograph above right is of the Stokes Creek / Wedderburn catchment only prior to the merge with O'Hares Creek.

Campbelltown Council recently received a $650,000 grant to upgrade parts of me for tourism purposes.

Punchbowl Creek - The Basin - Kentlyn

Punchbowl Creek enters the Basin from the east after draining approximately 50 square kilometers of Georges River catchment. It is as close as 2 kilometers in places to the Woronora lake and only 3 kilometers from the Woronora river. Bhp Billiton Illawarra Coal intends to longwall mine under these areas affecting the headwaters of the Punchbowl Creek, Woronora River, Dahlia Creek, Dahlia Swamp and adjacent to O'Hares Creek for a distance of 17 kilometers

BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal state that they do not mine under rivers yet they intend to mine within metres of OUR swamps and creeks which supply water to the rivers. They quote a distance of 1 kilo metre as a safety zone to stop cracking of the river beds and this is questionable.
gr_punchbowl_kentlyn - Punchbowl Creek at the Basin Georges River NSW, includes Google Earth map

On the 10 April 2010 Punchbowl creek was pristine with crystal clear water and healthy growth within the creek and along its banks. These photographs are the first of many as we expand our parameters to embrace areas not previously mined.

Lack of information in the past has aided the mining industry in its denial that their activities have damaged rivers and catchments here and overseas.

Macarthur Bushwalkers and politics

Macarthur Bushwalkers / Macarthur Bicycle Users Group was not involved in politics until February 2010. At that point we felt that to remain neutral was and is a cowards way of handling issues that need to be addressed. Our findings are heart wrenching for those of us interested in our rivers and the flora and fauna that depend on them. We fear for the future of our water supplies which will affect all life near and far from our catchments.

We are monitoring 100 square kilometers or more of a major Sydney Catchment, the Woronora Plateau. The catchment supplies water to the Woronora Dam, Cataract Dam, Nepean Dam, Cordeaux Dam, Avon Dam and Warragamba Dam.

We chose Georges River to monitor because of its close proximity to the Cataract River, Nepean River, Woronora River and Waratah Rivulet. The Waratah Rivulet is now badly cracked and water flows after rain only. It appears this is also now happening with Georges River. We are now regularly photographing water flowing in the catchment from both tributaries only after rain with the exception of the discharge from the BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal Appin mines dam. Whatever happens to Georges Rivers will happen to other rivers of the catchment and it already is starting with the Cataract River flow ceasing on 20 occasions.

BHP Billiton wish to extend their mining operations for the next 30 years under a catchment already struggling from previous mining operations. BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal deny they are at fault. We have learned that mining companies always deny responsibility because we, the public, cannot prove beyond doubt that they are destroying the environment and our rivers!

Decisions made by past and present NSW Governments which include Premier Kristina Keneally have been made despite advice from scientific bodies set up for that very purpose. - see mining politicians.

Macarthur Bushwalkers Monitoring locations:

We initially identified and established seven locations from The Basin at Kentlyn to the distant location (location 7) near Darkes Forest on the upper reaches of O'Hares Creek in the Georges River Upper Catchment. The most important location is The Basin at Kentlyn. Here the flow from all major sources - O'Hares, Stokes, Maddens and Punchbowl Creeks plus the water from the swamps of the upper catchment can be observed and photographed.

Location 1. The Basin on Georges River at Kentlyn (banner photograph taken during drought early 2009)
Georges River - The Basin

Location 2. The Cause way at Wedderburn Gorge Wedderburn Gorge

Location 3. The Woolwash, junction of Georges River and O'Hares Creek
Woolwash

Location 4. The water gauge upstream of location 3 on O'Hares Creek Wedderburn
O'Hare - Wedderburn

Location 5. The water gauge upstream of O'Hares Creek / Stokes Creek junction Wedderburn
Stokes Creek - Wedderburn

Location 6. Iluka Swamp in the Dharawal State Recreation Area
Iluka Swamp

Location 7. River crossing downstream of Iluka Creek on O'Hares Creek
O'Hare - Iluka Creek

The Woolwash

In 2008 the main river channel was so lacking in water it was possible to stride over it, a distance of approximately one metre.

The Woolwash is an important monitoring point in our project, here we can see the water flowing from both tributaries of the catchment as they enter the main Georges River.

The river now widens and takes on the appearance of a full size river. We see all manner of flora, fauna and spectacular scenery with stalactite like rock formations caused by water seepage. Bright green pythons, water dragons, red bellied black snakes, wallabies, eastern gray kangaroos, sulphur crested cockatoos, yellow tailed black cockatoos, gang gang cockatoos, honey eaters, the list is endless.

One comes across groves of grass trees and gymea lilies where one walks through huge strap like plants, their deep red flowers as big as cabbages on stalks 5 to 6 metre's high which tower overhead.

At Kentlyn the river flows over a water fall at The Basin turns left towards Liverpool and meets Punchbowl Creek at this same location. Here ALL the rivers sources meet, we should see a healthy vibrant river.

Google Mining research - longwall mining damage - environmental damage BHP Billiton

We felt the need to learn about the mining industries attitudes, methods and techniques when dealing with communities. It was also important to discover where possible the benefits they provided to those same communities.

Simply by utilising the terms longwall mining damage - environmental damage BHP Billiton we unearthed a shocking history of disasters, atrocities, pollution and total disregard for people and governments world wide.

Google and the internet made it easy for us to access information about mining, environmental disasters and their long term affects on the people and the countries they operate in. There was a tremendous amount of information available from the US which we we have used to create a background for this website. Why reinvent the wheel?

The Americans have been exposed to bad mining practices on a grand scale for 150 years. We will and are already experiencing the consequences of similar bad mining practices here. UK and Europe has also had its share of issues with mining. It seems the countries of operation change but the companies are the same.

We also discovered that communities affected by the mining industries activities are strongly reacting. They are publishing the effects of mining on their websites. The BHP Billiton Annual General Meeting report (below) is fascinating but horrifying reading.

• mining misinformation
• mining - broken promises

BHP Billiton Annual General Meeting

Of particular interest is the following accusations of BHP Billition by its own shareholders of the companies activities and policies - mining misinformation:

• its environmental record in the Philippines, Indonesia, Guatemala and Colombia.
• its failure to listen to complaints.
• its failure to answer many detailed questions with anything more than vague generalities.
• its failure to admit that consultation processes in many countries are affected by corruption and intimidation.
• its blank denial, without evidence, of informed and well-documented criticism.
• its failure to endorse the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• its role in worsening climate change
• its activities in producing a radioactive legacy for future generations

Longwall mining research results read like a novel!

The picture these searches paint isn't pretty. You can now assess for yourselves how governments have cooperated with mining companies to the detriment of their voters (you). Successive Australian governments past and present at both Federal and State level are guilty of this cooperation. The Bob Carr led NSW government to the present day Kristine Keneally government seem to have given the mining companies a blank cheque with our environment leaving the people and future generations to pick up the tab.

The following Longwall mining links lead to reports, submissions and news items which address the environmental damage blamed on the mining industry here and overseas.

We have compiled page after page documenting mining companies activities from Chile, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Bay of Bengal, West papua, .

Mining in Australia

Closer to home we have the Barrow Island of the West Australian coast and South Australia with its mining pollution and criminal use if water.

Mining in NSW

We have Southern Coalfields of NSW with Macarthur Region where the Georges Rivers water flow is now almost non-existent. Still in the Macarthur we have the Nepean River and Cataract Rivers, both part of the Sydney Catchment area (your drinking water).

We then move onto Newcastle, the Goulburn River, NSW Central Plains with its agriculture, the Illawarra and Blue Mountains. Saturday 27 March 2010 Picton - over 100 locals met to discuss and learn about mining company strategies. They spoke of loss of water, damaged houses, poor repairs to homes, destruction of aboriginal sites, trespass, breaking of agreements, shifting blame and responsibility.

We have come to realise that badly damaged houses, bridges, creeks, rivers, dams, water pollution, global warming, the very infrastructure of our society mean little to mining companies or the NSW Government, your government, the one you voted in to run your state.

see mining politicians

Longwall Mining links

Georges River Macarthur

General longwall mining

• longwall mining process - damage, cause and effects
• backstow - mining subsidence - backstow reduces surface damage, our politicians don't legislate for it
• Cataract river - Cataract river during the seventies
• Georges river dyeing - Georges river greatly reduced water levels
• Iluka Creek - Iluka Swamp - Iluka Creek, Iluka Swamp, Georges River catchment
• Macarthur's rivers - Bargo, Georges, Cataract rivers - Broughton Pass Dam, Marhnyes Hole, Appin
• Mine subsidence - mine subsidence in the Upper Nepean river catchment
• Georges River photographs - photographs of 7 km downstream of Freres Crossing
• Stokes Creek Wedderburn - Stokes Creek, Wedderburn, Georges River, Campbelltown
• Wedderburn - Wedderburn's rivers, creeks and properties
• Wedderburn gorge - Wedderburn gorge, Georges River catchment, environmental damage
• Woolwash - The Woolwash junction with O'Hares creek Wedderburn - Minto
• O'Hares - Iluka - Georges River, O'Hares Creek, Dharawal State Recreation Area, Iluka Creek, Iluka Swamp, Maddens Creek.
• O'Hares - Wedderburn - Georges River, O'Hares Creek, Campbelltown, Wedderburn.
• Dharawal State Recreation Area - Georges River, O'Hares Creek, Darkes Forest.
• Georges River runs dry - is it too late? - The Woolwash & Georges River

• gr_appin_cataract.html - Upstream of Kings Falls Appin in the Georges River upper catchment
• gr_punchbowl_kentlyn - Punchbowl Creek at the Basin Georges River NSW
• broken promises - longwall mining - deceit, denial and broken promises
• Cost clean coal - Clean coal, is it too costly to consider
• Longwall Mining - Global Climate Change, letter to Kevin Rudd, Prime minister Australia
• The hidden costs of clean coal - The environmental and human disaster of longwall mining - Multimedia from The Center for Public Integrity Washington DC. Video filmed in the mine and the effects above ground.
• BHP Billiton environmental damage - BHP Billiton, Fly river, Ok Tedi river, copper mines, Irian Jaya, Barrow Island, deforestation Indonesia, environmental damage, longwall mining
• BHP Billiton misinformation - BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal - Rio Tinto misinformation and the publics wrong impression of mining
• Politicians and approvals - These politicians approve longwall mining licence's which pollutes our atmosphere, damages our rivers, water catchments and your homes
• Mine subsidence - longwall mining and its impact on water resources
• When longwall mining comes to your town - When longwall mining comes to your town, your home is in the hands of the mining company- from the US and applies here in Australia
• BHP Bulli Coal Seam 3 March 2010_5.97MB
• BHP Bulli Coal Seam Dept Planning NSW March 2010 photographs_5.83MB

We decided to see for ourselves - Georges River Macarthur longwall mining research project

Macarthur Bushwalkers is a non funded, no fees bushwalking group with an interest in the environment and a passion for the areas we walk in. One of those areas is our own Georges River, a river very much underrated by those who do not know it. It is also a river whose water levels have dropped considerably since the early 80's to the point where we are now seeing little water particularly during the wet season as previously reported on this page.

In the past the mining industry has in the past blamed drought conditions for this reduction in the water levels of our rivers.

Aware of the opposition to mining by many Green groups throughout NSW, we decided to check out BHP Billiton Illawarra Coals claims of - "misinformation, lack of understanding, not having a balanced view" and so on by those groups and BHP Billiton.

Our project started in January 2009. Our goal was to establish monitoring locations throughout the Georges River catchment. Our intention was to use these locations to photograph the river throughout the seasons including times of drought and constant rain. We felt that it would benefit the community to have a record of the river as global warming continues.

Misinformation - people are getting the wrong impression

BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal have said in the past that a balanced argument should be presented when analysing the effects of longwall mining on local water catchment areas.

1. "there's a lot of misinformation being put out in the community, which is giving people, potentially, the wrong impression".
2. "People aren't getting a balanced view. They're not understanding what decisions are being made by mining companies around their environmental responsibilities."

Mr. John Brannon - General Manager of Sustainable Development and External Affairs BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal

Mr Brannon is inferring that the mining companies are being unfairly treated - see page BHP misinformation.

The following You Tube links take you to Pennsylvania where the people are experiencing exactly what people in NSW are facing in the Southern Coalfields and other areas of NSW. Learn from them.

• Longwall mining in Ohio - youtube
• Subsided Ground - Fallen Dreams
• Subsided Ground - Fallen Dreams part 2

We are currently making enquiries to investigate the possibility of a class action against the NSW labour party or individual ministers who sanction damage to our property and environment, it is time they were held accountable. There are sufficient people in the community who have bad experiences from dealing with the mining industry.

1. BHP Billiton say they are not responsible for the catchments loss of water - we know the water flow started to reduce after the commencement of longwall mining in the early 80's.
2. BHP Billiton illawarra Coal have formulated strategies to protect endangered species of flora and fauna - we ask how can they when the water flow is almost gone as this website proves
3. The mining industry say that water passing through cracked river beds will appear downstream - we have found NO evidence of this throughout the whole catchments and after 20 years of more of mining in the area.
4. The mining industry say they are monitoring the affects of mining on our catchments and rivers - we say we have seen NO sign of human activity throughout our 16 months of monitoring the Woronora Catchments.
5. BHP Billiton say that they will not damage or mine under O' Hares Creek - we say it is already damaged because we see water flow ONLY after rain in both tributaries, it is not necessary to mine under the tributary to caused further environmental damage.
6. BHP Billiton wish to mine adjacent to O'Hares Creek over 17 kilometers, they will mine close to the Woronora River and Cataract Rivers - we say they CANNOT guarantee not causing damage to the Sydney water supply therefore their project should be denied.
7. We chose to monitor the Georges River because of the huge catchment area which is SHARED with other rivers may also be affected.
8. We have identified water flowing into Maddons Creek near Darkes Forest and been UNABLE to find water flowing at Wedderburn some 25 km or more downstream even though it should increase as it picks up from the swamps on its journey.
9. After photographically recording George River tributaries over 16 months we say that the onus must be placed at the door of the mining industry to prove they will not destroy our catchments.
10. BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal will mine under many catchment swamps. Rock beds cracked as a result of longwall mining will dry them out, they will be susceptible to bush fire which totally destroys the dry swamp. Other vegetation then becomes dominant, takes over with permanent loss of the swamp.

The issues created by the NSW Government over the last 16 years which include failure of health systems, under funding of hospitals, road development, poor rail services, toll ways etc pale into insignificance compared to the crime of systematically and knowingly destroying a communities (Sydney, Wollongong and Sutherland Shire) water supply.

We accuse NSW Labour Governments over the past 16 years of knowingly authorising the mining industry to systematically destroy aboriginal sacred sites, rivers and water supplies, community and private infrastructure in the pursuit of money from coal to the detriment of the people of Sydney and the state of NSW.

Film footage of longwall mining

Visit The hidden costs of clean coal - The environmental and human disaster of longwall mining - Multimedia from The Center for Public Integrity Washington DC. Video filmed within the mine then on the surface. .PDF Hidden disasters of longwall mining

Waratah Rivulet - When the Rivers Run Dry - Total Environment Centre - Sydney Water System - Another longwall mining casualty.

Mining Advocacy Network