Lock the Gate takes aim at Whitehaven Coal’s water data
Lock the Gate Alliance has called for Whitehaven Coal’s Winchester South EIS to be ‘thrown out’, raising concerns over water data and environmental impacts.
Mackay
Don't miss out on the headlines from Mackay. Followed categories will be added to My News.
An environmental lobby group has questioned the validity of wet season modelling at Whitehaven Coal’s $1 billion Central Queensland project, calling for the mine to not proceed.
Lock the Gate Alliance, in its submission to the Winchester South environmental impact statement, says water surveying data in the document was done during a low rainfall season in a period of drought.
The early May data, at the start of the dry season, inaccurately represents the rainfall data of the wider Isaac region.
“This EIS should be thrown in the bin based purely on the fact Whitehaven is trying to argue it conducted robust wet season monitoring at the beginning of the dry season and during a drought,” Lock the Gate Alliance spokeswoman Ellie Smith said.
“As anyone who has spent any time in the tropics knows, wet seasons are wildly unpredictable. Basing the construction of a mammoth coal mine off incomplete data is a recipe for disaster.”
Whitehaven Coal refused to comment, instead referring back to the draft EIS in the public submission stage.
In further concerns raised in its submission against the mine’s approval, Lock the Gate said the project would undermine the state government’s lower emissions target goal, and raised concerns about unfilled voids that would remain at the end of the project’s lifespan.
Whitehaven, in response to this questions from this publication, did not respond but a spokeswoman again indicated the requirements the company must meet to be approved.
The company did not respond to questions relating to water controls and discharges that Lock the Gate suggested could impact the Isaac River floodplain.
Whitehaven’s Sustainability Report 2021 states: “Every day, we are required to comply with more than 7000 individual controls across various licence conditions and management plans.
“We are committed to strong performance in this critical area.
“In the regrettable instances where non-compliances do occur, we always seek to work cooperatively with relevant regulators and take steps to address all controllable factors that contributed to the non-compliance.”
Winchester South is Whitehaven Coal’s first development in Queensland. It has several established operations in New South Wales.
The draft EIS and submissions are currently being assessed. If approved, construction will begin in late 2022.
More Coverage
Originally published as Lock the Gate takes aim at Whitehaven Coal’s water data
One trapped, vehicle on train lines in Bruce Hwy three-car crash
Emergency crews have rushed to free a person after they became trapped in a three-vehicle crash that blocked the Bruce Hwy, with one car coming to rest on a train line.
Why cattle killer shot two pregnant cows
A father of four splitting his time between the mines and his own farm faced court for shooting and killing two cattle. See what tipped him over the edge.
Mum turned ‘blind eye’ to illegal romance involving 15yo child
He lavished her with gifts, told her he loved and wanted to marry her and was even paying off a ring. But she was an underage teen and he was twice her age. Now he’s a convicted child sex offender.
Support worker, couple lose last hope before homelessness
A Qld support worker and a young couple have been left with nowhere to go after they were given ten days notice of eviction from their last resort accommodation.
Cyclone threat grows as 500km beast stalks Qld coast
A tropical low that has a high chance of forming into a cyclone in coming days. SEE THE FORECAST
‘The quality of music is insane’: Homegrown act returning to NQ after big honour
It might just be a couple of blokes from Townsville and Mackay, but SAME PAINS is making waves in the Queensland music industry.