Make your views heard on Mid-West water

The WA Greens are urging Mid-West residents to have their views heard on future water use in their region.

“The WA Government is currently considering giving carte blanche to a mining company to take a vast quantity of good quality, fresh water out of the Mingenew for use in iron ore processing,” the Greens Water Spokesperson, Alison Xamon MLC, said.

“The 5.3 gigalitres being sought by Karara Mining equates to 86 per cent of the unallocated water in the aquifer – water that potentially could be used for agriculture and horticulture.

“Mingenew is an important growing area for WA and this precious groundwater resource may quite likely have far better uses than washing rocks.

“I am also concerned that the two studies commissioned by Karara into the likely draw-down on the aquifer and subsequent impacts on vegetation are insufficient to understand the full impacts of taking the area's remaining unallocated water.

“Karara’s study assumes that the aquifer will recharge at a higher rate in the future due to land-clearing, but this assumption is based on old data and is contradicted by more recent local monitoring,” Ms Xamon said.

“In addition, there is a trend towards declining rainfall and rising temperatures in the region, which may reduce the recharge rate in the future.

“I note that a 2009 CSIRO study places “very low confidence” in our current understanding about the Mid-West’s groundwater resources.

“It’s clear that we need a far better understanding of the regions’ groundwater resources before allocating billions of litres of water to single users.

“I am appalled that the WA Government appears intent on recklessly signing off on this application without knowing its implications and also without giving the people of the Mid-West a chance to properly assess it with full information.

“Reports that Karara has already begun building the 180km pipeline from its proposed borefield to the mine site raise serious questions about what advice the Government has already given the mining company about its application to date.”

Public comments on Karara’s application for 5.3Gl from the Mingenew sub-area are due to by 31 January 2011 to the Department of Water. Details are available on the Department's website (put 'Karara' in the search function) or can be sought by calling the Department’s Geraldton office on 9965 7400.