The recent Caroona Coal Project Interim Report has been written in an illusory way which gives the trusting public the impression that BHP is no longer interested in mining under the black soil floodplains or in conducting any open cut mining around Caroona.

They have not made, and will not make, a commitment to not mine under the flood plains, nor will they guarantee there will not be any open cut mining. Ask them yourself and listen carefully to their response.

They will say they are “not considering it” at this time, hoping people will assume from that statement that it will never happen. They have admitted they simply do not have the technology to handle subsidence or the volume of underground water ... yet!

Only recently BHP said they required about another 20 holes before they could determine target areas and that they hoped to have enough information to make those areas public by the end of the year.

I wonder if the sudden change of plans has had anything to do with trying to counter the huge groundswell of public support for a full and independent study of the aquifer systems. A study neither BHP nor Minister Ian Macdonald want. A study which may show that Ian Macdonald and BHP are prepared to put at risk not only the local environment, aquifers and agricultural production, but the whole Murray-Darling system. A study which may well confirm studies done during the 1980s and early 1990s that concluded: “these ridges are recognised as being recharge areas for aquifers of the Liverpool Plains” ... “all aquifer types appear to be hydraulically connected”.... “these rock outcrops provide a direct pathway for surface water to infiltrate into the deep fractured rock aquifer.”

Nikki Williams’ (NSW Minerals Council) media release (Aug 6) was obviously a pre-arranged supportive statement for BHP and the Caroona Coal Project and it likewise is

highly inaccurate and extremely

exaggerated.

While there obviously has been some geological research and some consultation with someone somewhere, to suggest “rigorous” geological research and “extensive” consultation is an extreme exaggeration of the facts, as is claiming “extensive mapping and monitoring of the underground aquifers has been carried out”. Those statements and other inaccuracies in her media releases force me to seriously question the credibility of any of her statements.

Meanwhile the test drilling program for the floodplain rolls on behind a smokescreen of Beijing proportion and BHP continues to march landholders, handcuffed by a severely flawed process, through the halls of forced arbitration and into the mining warden’s court.

Sandy Blomfield

QUIRINDI