The pressure is on groundwater in the Maules Creek valley.

This video shows dramatic scenes of groundwater pouring into the Maules Creek Coal Mine. It is being pumped into a large new dam that could potentially hold over 1 GL of water. Its a “new” dam because it was never envisaged during the original approval. In fact, in the original planning approval, mine production was based on 3 GL of river water licenses provided by Keepit and Split Rock Dams.

Post approval, the groundwater extraction was licensed up to 1100 ML in two tranches of 300 ML and 800 ML by the previous LNP government. The extraction of that groundwater was sanctioned by the planning system when the mine produced confidential groundwater models that fed into it’s Water “Management” Plan. In combination, the models and plans are tick a box exercises designed to justify expanded groundwater take and future mining expansions.

Incredibly, the predictive groundwater models on which the Water Management Plans are based, are regularly delayed and questioned, or totally discredited. For example a Dept of Water 2018 review of the regional groundwater model said;

“Quality of predictions is found to vary from generally reasonable to poor (e.g. observed decline in groundwater level but model predicted rise). No in-depth analysis is provided for noticed correlation or deviation from observations or previous modelled predictions.”

Water Management Plans are part of an “adaptive management strategy” which makes operational changes when observed data varies from the baseline beyond a trigger level. These Plans should be based on accurate, well interpreted groundwater models. But the strategy is inherently unfair when the underlying models and associated monitoring is non transparent or fails; and there is no process for the community to modify the groundwater management or strategy to protect precious reserves. This is such a case.

In 2024, despite the rainfall data showing a good uptick in district rainfall over summer with plentiful grass across the valley, the early warning signs are there.

Declining groundwater showing up as empty wells and stinking groundwater in the Horsearm Creek / Middle Creek area, are way out of character for these days.The video above is similar to this earlier one from 2019-2020 when aquifer de-watering, pit pumps brought water declines to unprecedented levels earlier and faster than what locals would normally expect.

We are seeing a repeat of early 2018, (i.e. prior to the 2019 – 2021 drought), when residents experienced dramatic groundwater loss  that was very different to previous seasons when in the early stages of drought events.

This new video  has serious implications for the coming seasons and indicate the next drought event will be far, far worse for groundwater, the community and the environment.

Submissions to the NSW ‘Planning’ Dept were due yesterday 8.6.2020 to respond to a Whitehaven coal Environmental Assessment known as MOD 7. MOD 7 proposes to extend the mine pit right up to the Namoi Alluvium and remove the current planning approval requirement to construct a “Low Permeability Barrier” that protects groundwater from flowing into the open cut coal mine. In its own words MOD 7 said;

“The Modification proposes mining of coal within 200 m of the Upper Namoi alluvium (but would avoid mining the Upper Namoi alluvium itself). This would allow TCPL to maximise the extraction of economic coal without the requirement to construct the infrastructure described above (i.e. the low permeability barrier, Goonbri Creek diversion, road and electricity transmission line realignments). The Modification would result in forgoing coal extraction from some areas permitted under PA 11_0047 (i.e. underlying the Upper Namoi alluvium).” ¹

The adjacent image shows that the pit may intercept the Namoi alluvium along a significant portion of the pit boundary, potentially leading to huge unregulated inflows. This is precisely the sort of thing that the Aquifer Interference Policy that was introduced but not activated by the coalition government in 2012 was meant to address.

MOD 7 envisages a network of new pipelines, that with existing water transfer arrangements ², will enable the movement of unregulated Namoi alluvium water to or from other mine sites such as Vickery and Maules Creek including water from sites outside the water zone of origin.

Basically, MOD 7 has all the hallmarks of an old fashioned water grab of unregulated pit inflow, or the so called “passive take” relied on the recent Maules Creek groundwater investigation. The modification is designed to literally remove all barriers to passive take and to go one step further, building a network of pipelines to facilitate the use of pit inflows all around the region.

Due to the water concerns for the community and environment, the MCCC has written twice (17.4.2018, 25.6.2018) to Niall Blair, the NSW Water Minister, seeking a “Temporary Water Restriction Order in the Maules Creek area that includes all groundwater extraction by the Maules Creek coal mine”.

On the 25th of May 2018, the Minister has responded through the Deputy Secretary of Lands and Water that the “Department of Industry (DoI) – Water to review the current conditions in Maules Creek and to provide advice as to any appropriate management actions that can be made under the Water Management Act 2000.”

Meanwhile groundwater levels continue to plummet, as the below graph from the Elfin Crossing Groundwater Monitoring Station and the above photos taken only 1 month apart show. The drain on the aquifer hasn’t stopped.

Temporary Water Restrictions have been used in the past to prevent extraction of water in the public interest and we have argued that it is in the public interest to stop large scale water extraction to protect the local community and the groundwater dependent ecosystems that rely on the alluvial aquifer.

Climate forecasts of low winter rainfall and a 60% possibility of a El Nino event in the summer with further low rainfall and high temperatures are a major concern. It would be disastrous if the mine were to pump out all the remaining groundwater reserves that stock and domestic water users and the groundwater dependent ecosystems rely upon. Now is the time to implement a Temporary Water Restriction Order.

The Department of Planning Compliance Division also has an inquiry under way. The Inquiry Report is very important because the Maules Creek mine approval is the first of the “Adaptive Management” style approvals that could be used for Shenhua Watermark and Santos Narrabri Gas Project. Adaptive Management requires detailed reporting and a operational response when the environment changes.

We know Elfin is no longer running – now we are waiting for the adaptive management bit to kick in.

The attached Draft Agenda for the 34th Narrabri Gasfield Project Community Consultative Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday the 17th of July 2018 are provided below for the information of the community.

The state government have developed CCC guidelines which can be found here. Under Section 6 Communication with the broader community, the guidelines say;

“Committee members are encouraged to discuss concerns and disseminate information about the project to the wider community, including stakeholder groups”.

34th CCC Meeting Agenda – 2018 July – Meeting Agenda_Draft.pdf

Water continues to stream into the Maules Creek coal mine pit.

These images were taken on the 10.6.2018 showing that pumps are still operating in the bottom of the pit, de-watering the coal seams. Water appears to be rising around the blast drill holes with the mine pit pumps working hard to lower the water table.

With the question of connectivity between the Maules Creek alluvium and the coal seams an open question, these pumps could be lowering the Maules Creek water table directly impacting residents and the environment.

Meanwhile, as this video shows, the pit lake continues to grow (as at the 29th of June).

The attached Final Draft Minutes from the 16th of May 2018 for the Combined mines Community Consultative Committee (CCC) meeting are provided below for the information of the community.

The state government have developed CCC guidelines which can be found here. Under Section 6 Communication with the broader community, the guidelines say;

“Committee members are encouraged to discuss concerns and disseminate information about the project to the wider community, including stakeholder groups”.

The combined minutes can be found here. Note that the Namoi Regional Air Quality Advisory Committee is still seeking members, 5 years after the mines were approved.

The attached Final Draft Minutes from the 16th of May 2018 Community Consultative Committee (CCC) meeting are provided below for the information of the community.

The state government have developed CCC guidelines which can be found here. Under Section 6 Communication with the broader community, the guidelines say;

“Committee members are encouraged to discuss concerns and disseminate information about the project to the wider community, including stakeholder groups”.

Attendees were; Darren Swain (DS) – WHC, Peter Wilkinson (PWi) – WHC, Scott Mitchell (SM) – WHC, Cr Robert Kneale (RK) – Narrabri Council, Cath Collyer (CC) – Community, Libby Laird (LL) – Community, Carolyn Nancarrow (CN) – Community, Anna Christie (AC) – Environmental Representative (Alternative)

Apologies were; Steve Eather, Jack Warnock, Simmone Moodie, Kerri Clarke

1. Maules Creek coal mine Final Draft minutes for May 2018 CCC meeting
2. Link to meeting notes from Community Rep