Georges River, Woolwash, O'Hares Creek, Appin, Campbelltown

Longwall Mining - Campbelltown - Georges River - Woolwash
Georges River Macarthur	General longwall mining
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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.

Georges River - The Woolwash - 15 May 2010 Macarthur Bushwalkers walk to the Woolwash on Saturday 15 May 2010 produced an experience we had never seen before. O'Hares Creek which is reputed to carry 70% of water into Georges River from the Woronora Catchment had failed. We were equally surprisedto discover that Georges River Upper Catchment was now now providing the only water flowing into the Woolwash. How does one explain such an event? We are not in drought! It is only a few months since Phil Costa, Minister for Water reported that we had received the highest rain fall in ten years. The Bureau of Metrology informed us two weeks ago that they only year which caused them concern was 1982 / 83. This means that the mining industries claim that the rivers were affected by drought is questionable.
We have formed the opinion Georges river is gone!
The following photograph was taken from the newly exposed rock in the middle of the Woolwash. In the centre of the photograph you will see members of Macarthur Bushwalkers, they are standing on a small sandy spur where the Upper Georges River enters the Woolwash and combines with O'Hares Creek.. This stretch of water is now a pool which contains fish which werejumping out of the water whilst we were there. Incidentally Macaquarie Perch and Australian Bass are found in the catchment. Both species are protected with the Macaquarie perch endangered. Unfirtunately we didn't mange to identify the fish species. The fish cannot get out of the pool which is supplied by a small flow of water from the BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal dam some 25 kilometers upstream near Appin. We decided to visit the dam after completing our work at the Woolwas to conform the flow from Kings Fall at Appin and from the BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal dam. The water flow from Kings Falls and the Upper Georges River Catchment was hardly noticeable and had almost ceased. We therefore can assume that the fish are swimming in water which is contaminated.


The next photograph was taken from the same location as the one above but at 180 degrees enabling us to see the river from both sides of the rock shelf. Note the backpack adjacent to the tiny water flow from the pool behind the photographer

The next photograph shows flood level markers on the bank of the river. These haven't been exposed to floods for over twenty years. Probably since the start of longwall mining in Appin

Here we see the rapids / water fall between O'Hares Creek and Georges River. At one time this produced a spectacular flow which included white water. This website carries photographs of a very poor reproduction of this flow which we photographed in 2009. We now walk down this gradient to take our photographs, an exercise it was impossible to do in the past.

The two photographs below show the water at the top of the boulder strewn area which doesn't have the height to continue flowing into Georges river. We estimate that the water level at this point has dropped over 300 millimeters since our last visit two weeks ago. In future we are setting up a marking system so that we can accurately monitor the water levels.
O'Hares Creek

O'Hares Creek at the top of the gradient	Rachel sitting centre bottom of the gradient

Rachel sitting next to the only water we could find on the gradient, it was coming from under the boulders. It would seem that Georges River and its catchment can now be written of and placed in the same category of the Waratah Rivulet. We ask the mining industry "is this is the best that you can do to protect our rivers as you mine our coal". Despite our invitations via email to politicians of both major parties and direct invitations to the leaders we have received no response. We pesonally emailed Kristina Keneally and the LOP 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. Maybe it was because of political clout by the racing industry, who know. So 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" and "is the Sydney catchment and its water supply of no value" Kristina Keneally has proved to be no friend to the people of Macarthur ignoring our pollutionj issues and dumping various potentialy harmful industries in an area already subjected to Sydneys pollution.