Mark Coulton (Parkes, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Ageing and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to speak about a matter of great importance in my electorate, which is the need for an independent hydrological study into the impact of mining on the Liverpool Plains, particularly in the Caroona and Breeza areas. This issue is of real concern to many of my constituents living in the region, and I believe that it is very important for this topic to be raised here in the federal parliament.

The farming country around Caroona has some of the most productive, resilient and moisture-rich soils in the country. Even during times of prolonged drought, the underground aquifer systems under the plains allow local farmers to produce substantial crops using state-of-the-art irrigation techniques. Many properties in the area have been owned by the same family for several generations, and there is a very strong sense of community spirit. The granting of a mining exploration license for the area by the New South Wales state Labor government has caused a great deal of legitimate concern among many local landholders. There is a very real fear that mining in the area could cause irreparable damage to the high-quality underground alluvial aquifers, which not only provide a source of irrigation for the local farmers but are also the main water supply for some 20,000 households in the region. There are also concerns over what effect subsidence from mining activity will have on the surface water flows given that this area is a natural floodplain.

The Caroona Coal Action Group, which is the representative group for local landholders, has called for an independent study to be undertaken to ensure that mining in the area would not compromise the long-term value of the surface and ground water resources of the region. I, along with several of my NSW Nationals colleagues, have met with members of the Caroona Coal Action Group to discuss this issue. The Nationals’ position in relation to the independent hydrological study has always been clear and unequivocal. The Nationals fully support the call for an independent study into the impact of mining on the Liverpool Plains. The Nationals also feel that the study, which should be paid for by the NSW government given that they have pocketed $100 million for mining exploration licences, must begin immediately.

It is my understanding that any previous studies that have been undertaken in relation to mining and underground water have been focused on the effects of water in relation to mining and not the effects of mining on water supply. The study model that has been put forward by the Caroona Coal Action Group will ensure that any mining development will adequately value and safeguard existing nat-ural resource assets, such as soil and water, the community and the ability to maintain pro-ductivity in the long term when mining has ceased.

The other factor which must be considered in relation to this issue is whether the relatively short-term benefits of mining should be placed ahead of the long-term benefits of agriculture. The Liverpool Plains are often described as the ‘food bowl’ of Australia given their long history of providing high-yielding crops of exceptional quality. The reality is that we are now at a time in history where global food security is becoming a major issue. More and more people across the globe will be relying on Australia’s agricultural producers for food security, and areas such as the Liverpool Plains will become even more important in the years ahead. This floodplain has the potential to be feeding this world in 1,000 years time, and we do not want to risk the long-term productivity and sustainability of agriculture for the short-term gains of mining.

I am not opposed to mining as such. Indeed, mining is very important to the local economy of my electorate and to the nation as a whole. But we must remember that the issue here is the effect of mining on this particularly fertile and fragile floodplain. It is well known that mining and underground water do not mix, and therefore it is vitally important that we obtain a clear picture as to the extent of this very important aquifer because any mishap, intentional or otherwise, will have a permanent detrimental effect on the productivity of this country.

I strongly believe that we need to make sure the future of the fertile agricultural land of the Liverpool Plains is not placed in jeopardy, and I feel that an independent study is the best way to determine, in detail, any potential risks to the region. I am pleased to place my support for the Caroona Coal Action Group, and the independent hydrological study, on the public record.