ABC News
November 1, 2011

Independent MP Tony Windsor is threatening to derail the Government’s mining tax unless it clamps down on coal seam gas exploration and provides millions of dollars for research into the environmental effects of coal seam gas drilling.

The Government needs the support of Mr Windsor and fellow independent Rob Oakeshott, who is also said to be wavering on the tax, to secure the numbers to get the measure through Parliament.

But Prime Minister Julia Gillard says while she will discuss Mr Windsor’s concerns with him, coal seam gas is “predominantly a state government matter”.

Mr Windsor says he has “had enough” of the tactics of coal seam gas companies which are exploring large areas of prime arable land in Queensland and New South Wales.

He says he does not trust assurances by the companies that mining will not affect the water table or destroy arable land.

Mr Windsor told AM the issue had been brought to a head by the activity of mining giant Santos on the Liverpool plains in northern NSW.

He said Santos part funded the environmental study that gave it the all-clear to drill.

“I’ve made it clear to the Government that this sort of nonsense from some of these companies has gone on long enough,” Mr Windsor said.

He said he wanted up to $400 million to be allocated each year from the mining tax revenue to fund bio-regional assessments to scientifically assess the impact of mining on aquifers, flood plains, native vegetation, farmland and native species.

“It would look at all the spatial landscape issues from landform, soil productivity, vegetation management, threatened species, other environmental issues, including groundwater, and surface water, and how the cumulative effects of some of these industries would impact downstream on others who are nowhere near the mining or gas activity.”

He is also demanding the Commonwealth legislate powers to give itself final approval of mining projects, effectively overriding the states.

Greens MP Adam Bandt says Mr Windsor has his party’s support and the Greens have a bill in the Senate designed to tighten environmental controls.

And he says while the Greens will try to amend the mining tax bill to include gold miners, they will support the tax even if the amendments are defeated.

“We are not in the business of blocking this mining tax but we do respect the right of others to bring to the table issues they want considered,” Mr Bandt told reporters.

It seems unlikely Mr Windsor’s demands will find support from the Government.

Ms Gillard says she is aware of the controversial coal seam gas projects mooted for Mr Windsor’s New England electorate, but says land use is not a Commonwealth matter.

“Predominantly this is a state government matter, to manage land use and resources, but of course we will discuss Tony Windsor’s concerns with him,” Ms Gillard told ABC local radio.

Mr Windsor is concerned about a dispute on a property near Spring Ridge, in northern NSW, where farmers are trying to stop Santos sinking exploratory boreholes.

A previous dispute lasted six months and Mr Windsor said people should not have to go through it again.

Sydney Morning Herald
October 22, 2011

A PLUME of toxic pollution from an old antimony mine appears to have killed fish for dozens of kilometres along the Macleay River in northern NSW.

The state government said there was no increased health risk because the contamination from the Hillgrove mine, east of Armidale, was diluted, but it has been ringing residents along the river as a precaution to tell them not to drink the water.

People living near the river and a tributary called Bakers Creek have found dead catfish, bass and shellfish, following recent heavy rain that caused a storage pond at the mine to overflow.

An investigation by the Environment Protection Authority began in August, and it estimates 900,000 litres of contaminated water entered the river when the storage pond overflowed.

”These overflows have been significantly diluted by rainfall runoff into the dam and from runoff into the creek from the catchment,” the Environment Minister, Robyn Parker, said in a statement.

”The result of this rainfall is a significant dilution effect with no resultant change to background contaminant levels … water quality has not been impacted.”

But a study published by the CSIRO in 2009 described the waterways near the mothballed mine as ”highly contaminated” and estimated about 7000 tonnes of waste had accumulated along the bed of the Macleay River.

Water tests have shown antimony levels at 250 times background levels, with high levels detected along the river to the coast at Urunga, where the mineral was once processed for export.

Antimony, a silver-grey metal used in fire retardants, lead-acid batteries and electronic devices, is potentially fatal if ingested, and even small doses can cause headaches and dizziness. High levels of arsenic were also detected.

”This government is rapidly developing an abysmal record in environmental management,” said the NSW Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham, who recently visited the area around the mine.

He wants a government investigation into health effects and potential loss of income for fishing and tourism operators along the length of the river.

Ms Parker said advice not to pump water from the river was ”standard advice and remains in force at all times”.

The company that owns the mine, Straits Resources, has been trying to minimise the pollution.

”They recently installed a much larger evaporator. In addition, they have been undertaking drainage work to direct stormwater away from the ponds in a bid to minimise inflows,” Ms Parker said.

The Hillgrove mine may soon be reopened after it was purchased by Ancoa NL. Gold and antimony have been mined in the area since the 1880s.