The Australian Government have released the results of research into the impact of mining on water resources in the Hunter Region of New South Wales. Scientists assessed the potential for changes in the Hunter Region’s groundwater and surface water due to coal mining and coal seam gas extraction. The Government has invested more than $90 million to understand the risks associated with these activities.
This comes as part of the Government’s commitment to encourage investment in natural resources, providing much-needed jobs for regional communities without causing risk to the environment and the communities that rely on water in the Hunter.
The Government needs strong scientific evidence to be able to make the best decisions in relation to mining activities and mitigate any impacts they may have.
The Hunter bioregional assessment considered the impacts associated with 22 potential new coal mining projects.
The Department for the Environment and Energy will work with the proponents of any new projects in the Hunter to understand any impacts before any project is approved.
Further information on the bioregional assessment program and the completed assessments can be found on www.bioregionalassessments.gov.au.
