Georges River Macarthur - News

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 dieing - Georges river greatly reduced water levels
• Iluka Creek - Iluka Swamp - Iluka Creek, Iluka Swamp, Georges River catchment
• Macarthurs rivers - Bargo, Georges, Cataract rivers - Broughton Pass Dam, Marhnes 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 - Wedderburns rivers, creeks and properties
• Wedderburn gorge - Wedderburn gorge, Georges River catchment, environmental damage
• Woolwash - The Woolwash junction with O'Hares creek Wedderburn - Minto
• Georges River catchment - Georges River, O'Hares Creek, Iluka Creek, Iluka Swamp, Maddens Creek, Dharawal State Recreation Area, Dharawal Nature Reserve, Campbelltown, Wedderburn.
• O'Hares - Wedderburn - Georges River, O'Hares Creek, Campbelltown, Wedderburn.
• Dharawal State Recreation Area - Georges River, O'Hares Creek, Darkes Forest.

• 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 licences 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

Illawarra Coal - Keeping You Informed

Bulli Seam Project Date

Illawarra Coal stated in the Macarthur Chronicle - Tuesday December 8 2009 - Page 80 that the 45 day Public Exhibition period for Illawarra Coal's Bulli Seam project is now complete. A number of information sessions were held in Wilton, Douglas Park and Appin.

They go on to claim the creation of 1200 new jobs in the mining industry.

BHPBilliton Illawarra Coal then explain that they have and are involved " ... in mapping 130 kilometres of rivers and streams, and assessment of over 200 swamps. 634 aboriginal heritage sites over a vast area of 19,000 hectares. Major studies were undertaken on native flora and fauna, heritage structures and private and public infrastructure".

They then go on to say that incorporated in the EA (Environmental Assessment) is an assessment of the economic value of the project which, among other things, equates to $2 billion in annual direct and indirect regional output or business turnover, and $298 million in annual household income.The project addresses mining operations for West Cliff Colliery and Appin mine for the next 30 years.

They state ..."Funded from three cents per saleable tonne from Illawarra Coal's Bulli Seam mines, the CPP (Community Partnership Programme) has now granted close to $1 million in finding to a range of since its inception in 2004 include Lifeline Macarthur, Life Education, Douglas Park Netball Club and Picton High Schools F1.

Australia's rivers, catchments, waters supplies are worth three cents per saleable tonne, how public spirited. This doesn't take into account the properties, dams and community infrastructure. Is this the best that the mining industry can do in the way of compensating the people of Australia?

Is this a joke?

BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal and other mining companies started to inflict damage on the Woronora Plateau and its creeks over 20 years ago, it is still happening.
To carry out an environmental assessment on an area which has been mined for over 20 years is a bit like closing the gate after the horse has bolted BHP! Unless of course, you and the mining industry wish to whitewash your past activities!

• Why would you and other mining companies bother when you are all involved in cracking river beds; mining under and damaging properties, dams, highways, creeks, railways and so on?
• Water, our most precious commodity on the so called driest continent on earth takes second place to coal with the NSW and Federal Labour Governments approval.
• Surely the Sydney catchment area is owned by the people of NSW, not just the people of Appin, Douglas Park and Wilton?
• Why weren't the people of Campbelltown, Penrith and Sydney made aware of these activites and invited to join the CPP?
• Why wasn't the exhibition also located in Sydney Town Hall, Penrith Council Chambers, Campbelltown Council and other townships downstream of your mining projects?
• Why the somewhat laughable figure of nearly $1 million dollars in 5 years, 3 cents in every saleable tonne, less than a million dollars since 2004?

Community meeting Penrith

In November we attended a meeting in Penrith Council offices. The community had come together to discuss high salinity and pollution issues affecting growers and businesses along the Nepean River. We asked the question - "what is council doing about the damage caused by longwall mining". This was met with stunned silence and many puzzled expressions. The locals simply weren't aware of the activities of the mining companies in the catchment area upstream ie Nepean and Cataract rivers.

There were farmers in attendance who cannot get sufficient water out of the Nepean river, who constantly battle pollution, some of it from a catchment damaged by longwall mining. They haven't been notified of the mining activitiesand the Bulli Seam Project and the question of ethics versus the almighty dollar raises it's head yet again.

Rain water tanks were discussed yet our rivers are losing water into cracked river beds. Doesn't make sense does it?

We are subjected to a farcical publicity campaign by the mining industry to make the information available but not tell the public of NSW and Sydney.

Our NSW labour government has now been in power for 20 years. They have authorised and condone these activities and still do under the so called leadership of Premier Kristine Keneally. bhp_politicians

Well, water equals life and yet the damage to the river beds and dams goes on! Finally to all the organisations who accept funding from the mining industry -

Were YOU AWARE OF THE DAMAGE THE mining industry has CAUSEd TO OUR ENVIRONMENT AND THE PROPERTIES OF FELLOW AUSTRALIANS when you received your mining industry funding?

Australian Journal of Mining

Dr Don Barnett discusses the price outlook for metallurgical and thermal coal.

Metallurgical Coal - Australian Journal of Mining March 18 2009 - Australian Journal of Mining

The world financial crisis led to a reduction in steel demand in the last quarter of 2008 which resulted in cutbacks in steel production and depressed market for metallurgical coal.
Prior to the onset of the financial crisis it was generally expected metallurgical coal prices would remain very high throughout 2009 and 2010 before slowly decreasing to long-term levels generally 20 to 40 per cent higher than the pre “China Boom” levels in 2007.
By year end 2008 the near term forecasts for premium hard coking coal had basically halved to between US$125 to $200 per tonne FOB export port, but the long term expectations have increased slightly over the pre financial crisis levels to between US$120 to $150 (Figure 1).
The 2009 price of semi soft coking coal, the lowest coking coal category and the highest quality thermal coal, is now expected to be slightly less than half the 2008 price of US$240, and then to drift down to between US$90 to $100 out to at least 2015.

Thermal Coal

Despite concerns with global warming, much of Asia is turning to coal and has massive plans to invest in coal-fired power stations. Peabody states that, “globally, 200 gigawatts of coal plants are currently under construction, representing 700 million tonnes of annual coal demand expected to come on line in the next several years.”
Demand for thermal coal in 2009 will be driven by industrialisation and urbanisation in China and India which will account for half of the new coal plants.
Commonwealth Securities expects, “thermal demand to hold up better than coking coal demand. The majority of Australia’s thermal coal exports are some of the highest quality available in the seaborne market, with high energy content, low sulphur, moisture and impurities. These qualities will shield demand somewhat as certain power stations require high quality inputs for effective operation.”
Thermal or steam coal is expected to fall from the 2008 level of US$125 per tonne FOB to between US$75 and $105 in 2009 and by 2015 to be between US$70 and $80 per tonne, approximately 50 per cent above the 2007 level (Figure 2).
Citigroup, however, forecast a price of US$70 for 2012 and a long-term price for thermal coal of US$50. With the cost increases that have occurred basically world wide in thermal coal production costs since the early part of this decade, it is not clear that at such a low price sufficient export coal could be produced to satisfy the expected consumption level.
Clearly coal companies fear a cost price squeeze in 2009 and are reviewing their cost structures to manage the compounding impact of lower volume and price.

Upper Georges River - Urban Sustainability Project

Campbelltown City Council has secured funding for three years from 2007 to 2010 for the preparation and implementation of an Integrated Environmental Management Plan for the Upper Georges River catchment.
The Integrated Environmental Management Plan will be prepared in partnership with Liverpool City Council, Wollondilly Shire Council and other stakeholders to ensure that the plan addresses priority issues within the catchment and secures stakeholder commitment beyond the 3 year life of the plan.
With funding from the NSW Environmental Trust the plan will provide the direction for the works on ground to improve the upper catchment environment. "source - urban sustainability project".

This is a very worthy project for Macarthur aimed at attracting tourism to the region.

Longwall Mining News: BHP Billitons longwalls reach out for Campbelltown

BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal Exploration License ELA3474 application for Wedderburn

The license (Exploration License ELA3474) affects the Dharawal State Recreation Area, Georges River, Stokes Creek, Pheasants Creek and O'Hares Creek with the western boundary running parralel with and in some cases less than 100 metres from Georges River. The south eastern perimeter follows Stokes Creek and the eastern perimeter is less than 250 metres from O'Hares Creek. The northern boundary is approximately 200 metres south of Hodgsons Close.

Properties which may be affected are adjacent to the following roads:

• Lysaght Rd
• Blackburn Rd

• Exley Rd
• Victoria Rd

• Katania Rd
• Kenwood Rd

St Helens Park - Rosemeadown

St Helens Park - may fall within the mining danger zone

This lease is within 2 to 2.5 kilometres from the newer Campbelltown suburb of St Helens Park with the closest streets being Briggs Place and Dewey Pace. The mining companies cannot guarantee that the after effects of the longwall panel roofs collapsing won't radiate out to St Helens Park and Rosemeadow.

We did inform Cnr. Russell Matheson several weeks ago but typically there was not response from council.