Category Archives: News

Submission on Springvale mining expansion

Rivers SOS has made a submission on Centennial Coal’s proposed expansion of the Springvale Colliery. Here’s an extract: Rivers SOS has held a regional meeting at Lithgow, where we viewed some of the swamps desiccated by Centennial Coal’s operations, and … Continue reading

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Media release – Enhanced risk to Sydney’s drinking water

The incremental damage to the Special Areas, the heartlands of Sydney’s catchment, continues with yesterday’s announcement from the Planning Assessment Commission (PAC), giving the green light to India’s Wollongong Coal mine to continue mining within the Dam Notification Area of the Cataract Dam, … Continue reading

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Mining in catchments at Wollongong

  Rivers SOS has published a detailed report on a proposal to expand mining at the Russell Vale Colliery, near Wollongong. In this case we’re looking at incremental mine damage to the most significant catchment in Australia, still capable of … Continue reading

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SMH: “Planning ignored NSW state agencies in giving coalmining expansion the nod”

As reported in the Sydney Morning Herald: The Baird government has been accused of ignoring the advice of its own agencies in allowing the expansion of underground coalmining into Sydney’s protected water catchment area. The below map illustrates the affected … Continue reading

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Media release: Waiting for a complete data set may be too late for Sydney’s drinking water

The NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer’s report on long-term impacts of coal and gas development on Sydney’s drinking water catchment [1] fails to address evidence-based concerns, according to Protect Sydney’s Water. [2] “We already know that longwall coal mining is … Continue reading

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Notes on CSG produced water

The NSW Chief Scientist recently held a meeting to discuss the impacts of ‘produced water’ from CSG mining (water that contains high levels of salt, and is often contaminated with carcinogens). Huge amounts of produced water are being generated by … Continue reading

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Media reports Woronora Reservoir dry-up

The Sydney Morning Herald recently reported on the ongoing damage caused by coal mining to rivers that flow into the Woronora Reservoir: Coalmining under part of Sydney’s water catchment has resulted in an important feeder pool being completely drained and … Continue reading

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Iron contamination of drinking water

The Sydney Morning Herald has reported on the issue of iron contamination in the rivers that feed Sydney’s catchment, caused by the upwelling of water through fractures above long-wall coal mines: Iron concentrations in a rivulet that feeds the Woronora … Continue reading

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Delegation of 18 scientists from Hainan province visits Rivers SOS at Douglas Park

A delegation from the Marine and Fisheries Department of Hainan province requested a visit to members of the Southern Coalfield branch of the Rivers SOS Alliance, to discuss the management of river systems and drinking water catchments. They arrived by … Continue reading

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Launch of Protect Sydney’s Water

Yesterday Rivers SOS joined with 50 community groups across the region at Parliament house in Sydney to launch Protect Sydney’s Water, an alliance to protect Sydney’s drinking water supply from destructive mining. As you may have seen on the recent ABC Stateline, coal mining has … Continue reading

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