Wollondilly MP Nathaniel Smith urges locals to take on “heartbreaking” Tahmoor mine subsidence in IPC meeting

Next week the Independent Planning Commission will host online Public Hearings to determine the future of the town of Bargo, and one MP is leading the charge.

Next week the Independent Planning Commission will host online Public Hearings to determine the future of the Tahmoor mine and its impacts on the town of Bargo.

Mining company SIMEC is proposing to expand the Tahmoor Mine to mine underneath the town of Bargo. This would extend the life of the mine and assure the jobs of 400 employees for a further 10 years, but critics say the cost is too high.

Wollondilly MP Nathaniel Smith is a fierce critic of the expansion proposal, and has been urging those in his electorate to have their say.

“I have heard heartbreaking stories of misery dealing with mine subsidence,” he said.

“It disrupts the family life and undermines the social fabric of the community. Even a simple shower in the morning can be a potluck.”

The Tahmoor mine uses longwall mining, which extracts the coking coal and then allows the roof of the mine to fall, causing the ground above to subside. This instability can cause infrastructure to shift and crack, as has been seen in many houses in the current Tahmoor mine subsidence zone.

“It’s 500m below them but people say they can hear it, and feel their houses shaking and their windows,” Mr Smith said.

According to a report from the Department of Planning and Environment, the mine expansion would put 1458 Bargo homes in the wider subsidence area, with 143 households directly above the mining activities. Twenty-eight houses would need substantial repairs and seven would have to be completely rebuilt.

The proposed Tahmoor mine expansion, outlined in red, would affect more than one local town.

The maximum expected difference between the current and the shifted ground level is 1.6m, according to the Subsidence Advisory. Mr Smith notes that it can take up to five years for the subsidence to stabilise, and only then can homeowners get compensation.

“The damage goes on for years and you’re just watching it,” said.

“They’ll do temporary fix ups until it’s stabilised and then they’ll work out how much they owe you. And if you don’t like the settlement, you then have to take them to Land and Environment Court – and who’s got the money to do that?”

However, the Subsidence Advisory notes that not all the houses in the subsidence zone are affected.

“In some areas, observed subsidence at Tahmoor was below predictions, while in other areas predictions were exceeded,” a statement said.

Tahmoor Mine.

A spokesman for SIMEC said the expansion to Tahmoor South would preserve the jobs of the 400 people employed by the mine for 10 more years, as well as creating 150 new jobs during construction.

“Their futures are at risk if one of the area’s largest employers is forced to close when the coking coal supply is exhausted in 18 months,” he said.

The mine said he expansion would inject $664.9 million into the state and $137.5 million in the local economy, but Mr Smith argued the potential losses are greater.

The development of Bargo would be put on hold until 2032, when the mining would finish, which would essentially “sterilise” the town according to Mr Smith.

Kalinya Estate in Bargo will face 1.5m of subsidence if the mine goes ahead. Photo: Kalinya Estate

“I don’t want to see any job losses, but it would be better if the mine looked at other options,” he said.

“I’d rather see it go crown land than under people’s homes.”

Mr Smith said public opinion has changed dramatically since he began to publicly oppose the mine proposal.

“The community have woken up and they’ve seen what’s coming towards them and they’re worried,” he said.

While he doesn’t agree with the recent decision on the nearby Dendrobium Mine, Mr Smith says that it’s a good sign that the IPC isn’t afraid to be contrary.

“It shows the IPC is not afraid to take on the Department of Planning,” said Nathaniel Smith MP.

The Public Hearings will be held next week from Monday 15 to Wednesday 17 February, beginning at 10am on the IPC website. Written submissions will be open until 5pm on Wednesday 24 February.