Poor health of Collie’s rivers are the hidden cost of coal
The Greens have accused the coal industry of being the likely culprit following reports of the Collie River becoming choked with toxic weed caused by low water levels.
“The coal industry’s highly unsustainable dewatering of local aquifers to allow open-cut mining and the massive amount of water needed by Collie’s coal-fired power stations for steam and cooling has spelt disaster for Collie’s waterways,” said Greens (WA) water spokesperson Alison Xamon MLC.
“The Department of Water has estimated that the water table in parts of the Collie Basin is more than 50 metres below its pre-mining state.
“This undoubtedly is a key factor in the Collie River and its tributaries’ poor health – and I hear reports it has caused Collie residents’ bores to run dry too.
“To quote the Department’s Upper Collie Water Allocation Plan, released in August last year, 49 Gigalitres of water is licensed for dewatering for coal-mining in the Premier subarea each year, in a location that receives only 2.2 Gigalitres annually of recharge via rainfall.
“This means, according to the Department, that licensed dewatering in this area is 2000 times the sustainable allocation limit.
“Therefore any suggestion that dewatering and water consumption by local coal-fired power stations is not affecting the local environment and people’s amenity is laughable.
“The State Government has been pushing for more coal-mining and coal-fired power plants in Collie, as well as throwing its support behind a proposal for a highly polluting urea plant that will need an extraordinary 12 Gigalitres of water-a-year to run.
“There is just not enough water available locally for this. In the light of these impacts, the recent Griffin Coal woes and obvious major greenhouse gas emissions associated with Collie’s coal mining and power generation, it’s clear that there is an urgent need for a Government-led transition towards more sustainable economic drivers in the Collie region.
“The Greens are calling on the State Government to immediately start planning a transition strategy for the future of workers and families in Collie so that they can be supported and trained in a move to a sustainable regional economy,” Ms Xamon said.
“We could be looking at exciting projects such as a solar thermal plant east of Collie, wind turbines along the southern Swan Coastal Plain and sustainable tourism, biomass and other industries.
“Collie’s construction, maintenance and electricity-trained workers are well placed to make the transition to renewable-based jobs – if there is appropriate political leadership.”
“Collie workers and their families deserve this protection for their futures,” Ms Xamon concluded.
The Department of Water’s Upper Collie Water Allocation Plan, released in August 2009, may be viewed here: