The Cudgegong River system could collapse within seven or eight years if plans to draw 3.5 gigalitres of water a year from the river for the Cobbora coal mine go ahead, Cudgegong Valley Water Committee president Trevor Crosby told a rally in Mudgee yesterday.
Speaking to the Defend Our Water rally in Lawson Park, Mr Crosby said the Cudgegong River could not sustain the demands of the Cobbora mine, which were equivalent to the total extraction from the river for town water, stock and domestic licences, irrigation and the environment.
Cobbora Holding Company plans to transfer high security water licences from the Macquarie River catchment to the Cudgegong River catchment for the mine.
Mr Crosby said the move would jeopardise the conservative water sharing plan developed over the past 15 years, by transferring licences from the large Macquarie Catchment to the smaller, delicate Cudgegong system.
He said Windamere Dam was slow to recharge in comparison to Burrendong Dam, and in most years was not coping with existing demand.
“Even with no coal mine, we are travelling close to the wind,” he said.
“For the last 15 years, common sense has ruled the day.
“That’s all going out the window because of a stamp on a document.
“Two governments have let us down, the relevant departments have let us down.
“State Water has been very good, but they don’t have a big stick. But we do have a big stick and we have got to start using it.”
Mudgee District Environment Group member Bev Smiles said if the Cobbora coal mine went ahead, the water supply to the Mid-Western Region’s diverse industries was at risk.
She urged listeners to act by contacting their local members and NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell to express their concerns about the effect of mining on water and other water users.
“We’ve got a council now who sees how their planning has been affected by the impact of three megamines,” said.
“Any more mines is too many. We have enough mines, we have enough jobs.
“From an economic viewpoint, we don’t need any more mines to assist our economy – in fact the our economy will literally disappear down a black hole if we lose our water supply.”
Sunday’s Defend Our Water rally was one of a number held across Australia to protest against the effect of coal mining and coal seam gas mining on water resources.
Around 45 people attended the Mudgee rally called by Mid-Western Community Action Network. Defend Our Water events were also held in Bylong and Rylstone.
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