Thursday, December 13, 2018

Progress from the Start of Save Our Macleay River.


End of Year Greetings from Save Our Macleay River

In 2013, a group of consultants made several recommendations to Government about how to deal with the arsenic contaminated tailings from a processing facility at Urunga. One option presented was to truck 30,000M3 for storing and possibly processing to Hillgrove, on top of the escarpment in the upper Macleay catchment. 


Many people thought it was crazy and resulted in well-attended public meeting at Bellbrook, in spite of the 400 heat! To prevent this option happening, a steering committee was formed and soon after SOMR was incorporated with the objective: “To ensure clean water throughout the Macleay”. 

Recently, a SOMR committee member visited the Urunga site where the contaminated material has been contained in sealed capsule and Urunga Wetlands successfully restored. The photos of recreation area where there had been a ‘Legacy Mine’ reminded us of SOMR's beginnings. 





SOMR was not involved in the restoration project of the derelict antimony mine at Urunga, but the issue was the trigger to actively care about the health of the Macleay.









Since then:
SOMR Inc. has:
  • ▪  Organised Public meetings in Kempsey and Gladstone, to relay and communicate
    issues to the community. For example, presentations regarding antimony/arsenic
    issues and Clybucca Wetlands rehabilitation project. 

  • ▪  Established working relationships with Hillgrove Mines, scientists from UNE and
    Southern Cross University, Kempsey Shire Council, Local Land Services, Office of Environment and Heritage, the Environmental Defenders Office and other key stakeholders.
  • ▪  Participated in re-establishing and meetings of the Macleay Contamination Working Group, with many Govt agencies in attendance. 

  • ▪  Participated in the Macleay Coastal Zone Management Plan Scoping Study – identifying the issues as a first stage toward a legislative CZMP. 

  • ▪  Taken water samples at Bellbrook for analysis by Professor Scott Johnson of SCU, to build up our understanding and find appropriate resolutions for the antimony, arsenic and nitrates within the Macleay River. 

  • ▪  Reviewed and provided input/submissions on issues that relate to the water quality of the River and tributaries. Including: changes to environmental legislation (such as biodiversity, land clearing, logging etc.) 

  • ▪  Reviewed the Derelict Mines Audit report for sources and recommendations and will follow up and monitor progress with remediations and actions recommended. 

  • ▪  Annually hosted ‘Paddles on the Macleay’ to highlight issues and view areas of concern and successful rehabilitations from the water. These include the Bellbrook and Kempsey river areas and the Clybucca and Yarrahapinni Wetland areas.
While ‘The Paddles’ are enjoyable and always highly informative events, SOMR continues to be an important community group working on the many issues concerning the health of the Macleay River.
As a Community Group, keeping the Macleay Valley community informed about existing and potential Macleay water quality and pollution issues is a highly important key role for SOMR. – This via our ‘email-outs’ (like this one!) and via our Facebook and Web-sites. 

More technically; some of these issues include the:

Macleay Catchment Eco Health Card, was released after several years of research, with support and involvement of many Government project partners. SOMR published it in Nov 2017. http://biz197.inmotionhosting.com/~saveou17/2017/11/ and later, Kempsey Shire Council followed with the full publication on their website in February 2018. 

Derelict Mines Audit in the Macleay Catchment, produced by GHD consultants for Derelict Mines Dept (now ‘Legacy Mines’ and part of Industry NSW - DPI). The audit report essentially highlighting the sources of contamination, and recommending remedial actions, areas for further investigation, priorities and costings. The 286 page audit was completed in 2016 and finally ‘released’ by Govt in September 2018. Its political release was, we believe, in-part from SOMR’s continued requests. 

The report is now published on the Kempsey Shire Council website. 

http://www.kempsey.nsw.gov.au/environment/river-management/pubs/derelict-mines-macleay-
catchment-arsenic-and-antimony-assessment-stages-2-and-2a.pdf 

Both the Eco Health Card and the Derelict Mines Audit show that there are significantly polluted areas in the Catchment. It should be noted that in the audit ‘historic’ mining sites are the sources of antimony and arsenic contamination, not ‘current’ mines - such as Hillgrove Mines’ operations. The audit finds sources are in 3 main historic mine areas of Baker’s Creek and Kapunda areas in the upper catchment and Mungay Creek in the mid to lower catchment. 

Hillgrove Mines: 

SOMR has built a good working relationship with the operators of Hillgrove Mines with some trust and communication, both ways, built-up over the years. The Hillgrove Mine was only in production for less than two years and has been in ‘Care and Maintenance’ mode for the past two years, awaiting an acceptable offer to purchase. In this mode, the mine still has to monitor and manage its infrastructure. 

In July 2018 SOMR members visited Hillgrove and were shown remedial works carried out primarily aimed to minimise costs of care and maintenance including:
  • ▪  a new dam constructed to contain site water,
  • ▪  ongoing and improved pumping of mine shaft water back to the mine processing
    site, which would otherwise go into the creek,
  • ▪  improved dam containment walls and off-site stormwater diversions around the site,
    to reduce risks from intense rain/storm water.
    While all these are improvements on what was; SOMR would like to see the old 1980's Tailing Storage Facility removed, the contents reprocessed, and the remaining contaminated material stored well away from the escarpment in a modern, well-engineered containment facility, with the current site revegetated. SOMR understands the economic limitations with no income, while in Care and Maintenance mode, but would strongly push for this should the mine begin operations.
Macleay River Contamination Working Group: Comprises representatives of several government bodies, scientists from UNE and Southern Cross and SOMR. It exchanges information about the health of the Macleay, current and future strategies to address problems. 

In May 2018, then SOMR President Arthur Bain, attended a MRCWG meeting and his report can be found on SOMR’s Facebook and the website. http://biz197.inmotionhosting.com/
~saveou17/page/2/http://biz197.inmotionhosting.com/~saveou17/page/2/ 

Water samples at Bellbrook are collected by SOMR members on a regular and event basis. The samples are used by Professor Scott Johnston from the Geoscience Department of Southern Cross University for analysis and research to establish how arsenic and antimony change structure depending on oxygen, acidity, temperature and seasonal variations. These factors impact on the mobility and bio-availability of these minerals as they transport down the river system.
Once Prof. Scott Johnson has established definitive findings, SOMR will arrange a public meeting where he will be able to present his findings for the Community. 

Logging in State Forests and Private lands: is a recent concern for SOMR following the changes in legislation, Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) renewals and Integrated Forest Operation Approvals (IFOAs) since the corporatisation of ‘State Forests’ transitioned to ‘Forestry Corporation’ in NSW, without much put out for public review or consultation. 

Recent, current and proposed logging in State Forest areas of the Macleay catchment, released by the Forestry Corporation (NSW) includes: 

1. ‘Intensive’logging(145km2)intheupperClybuccaandSouthKempsey/ Kundabung areas,
2. ‘Regrowth’logging(75km2)inthelowermid-catchment,mainlyHickeysand Mungay Creek areas and
3. ‘Non-Regrowth’(405km2)logginginsteepareasoftheuppercatchment,mainlyin the Styx, Kunderang and upper Fiveday Creek areas.
While general forest management does not fall into SOMR’s charter ‘Objective’, stated above. SOMR’s logging related concerns include:
  • ▪  Sedimentation from operations, especially in the ‘Intensive’ and steep ‘Non- Regrowth’ logging areas,
  • ▪  Weed growth brought into the upper catchments to flow to the lower,
  • ▪  Destruction and encroachment of reduced riparian/creek ‘buffers’ to protect water
    quality. (As well as many other environmental concerns.)

    SOMR has recently asked the Regional Office of Forestry Corporation (NSW) to show Committee members example sites of past and present operations in all three types of logging areas. - From this we hope to gauge: a) their willingness to demonstrate ‘good practice’, b) observe and assess the real issues ‘On-the-ground’ and c) build up a working relationship with the Forestry Corporation people on the ground. (As we have done with Hillgrove Mines, to good effect.) 

    Additionally, SOMR is aware of and monitor other ‘bodies’ trying to achieve good ‘Forest Management’. These currently include the North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) and the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) and the media. SOMR committee members generally support their goals more generally than our ‘charter objectives’ permit, and encourage your support also.
If you have read this ‘Mail-out’ to this point, absorbing even some of the more technical details of what SOMR does: Please join and support us by becoming a member or nominating to be on the SOMR Committee.

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