BECOME A MEMBER AND COME TO THE AGM Our Macleay River Inc (SOMR) Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday 12 August in West Kempsey. If you are not yet a member, you are encouraged to join this group of local residents working diligently on many issues effecting the catchment. The membership application form is attached below. The individual membership fee for one year is $10; for a family it is $20. Up to 3 Years membership options are available on the form.
Click to download SOMR Membership and Membership Renewalforms. It would be even better if you get actively involved. It is fun to keep an eye on polluters, gather information, go on fact finding tours, disseminate the facts and have informed discussions at the meetings. SOMR members will get more detailed information.
JOIN THE PADDLE ON THE MACLEAY 2023 SOMR is planning the 2023 Paddle on the Macleay at Smithtown-Gladstone Date: Sunday 17 September This is to coincide with Gladstone Quality Markets and SOMR will set up an information stall there. The launch point will be in Smithtown. Returning there, no car shuffle is needed. More details to come soon.
ARMIDALE AND NEW ENGLAND WATER ISSUES OF CONCERN Armidale Regional Council (ARC) Local government area includes just over one third of the north western area of Macleay Catchment, some 5,000 of the 14450 square km of catchment. The population and general water demand has been relatively stable with minor variations until a major global, and then later other, ‘intensive horticulture industries’ established around Guyra and Armidale. The 2018-20 drought put these high water-consumption ‘Intensive Horticulture industries’ under pressure for water to continue supply of produce. ARC decided to carry out many drastic actions to assist these industries; including trucking and pumping large amounts water. Read more
STAY INFORMED ABOUT OVEN MOUNTAIN PUMPED HYDRO As reported previously, the Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro Storage (OMPHS) proponents lodged their documents relating to the project’s environmental impacts with the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) just before the NSW State election. Ever since, it has been a wait for the DoPIE to publish the documents and the time frame for lodging submissions (usually a minimum of 28 days are given). The SOMR Secretary has prepared sample submission letters and a list of issues to address. This material will be made available to the members and interested parties as soon as the OMPHS EIS and DA are placed on formal exhibition. According to a project update published by the proponents in early July 23 this is expected to occur “within the coming months.” This means that we might still wait for months until we learn about the anticipated impact of the project and are able to write informed submissions.. In the meantime, the company is promoting the project at public meetings, sponsoring events like the “Bellbrook Farmers Challenge” and the “Northwest Regional Career Expo”.
Since the last public event SOMR organised in November 2022, committee members have attended to several issues of concern.
Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro
OMPHS, the proponents of the pumped hydro scheme in the Macleay Valley, lodged the EIS and DA documents with the State Government close to the elections in March 23.
Ever since, it has been a wait for the Department of Industry and Environment (DoPIE) to publish the documents and the time frame for lodging submissions (usually a minimum of 28 days are given). The SOMR Secretary has prepared sample submission letters and a list of issues to address. This material will be made available to the members and interested parties as soon as the OMPHS EIS and DA are published.
Besides the impact on the Macleay River, questions about the cost of the scheme have been raised many times. In recent weeks several articles have been published in Renew Economy comparing batteries to pumped hydro..
The Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro Scheme is part of the state significant New England Renewable Energy Zone. The massive solar and wind-turbine arrays and transmission lines on the Tablelands are dividing the community. Energy companies seem to portray the development as a ‘done deal’ as it is needed/directed by the State Government. Some community members are lobbying for a reduction of the required out-put from 8Mw to 5Mw which would lessen the impact on land, residents and cost.
Increased water use in the Upper Macleay Catchment
“Seeking water security for people and nature” is the motto of a new community group within Sustainable Living Armidale called Sustainable Water Futures Armidale Region (SWFAR). One of their first actions was to learn how Armidale Regional Council is going about planning for water security into the 2040s, and comment on this to Council.
SOMR as well as the Armidale Branch National Parks Association, are concerned that the Armidale
Regional Council (ARC) is not sufficiently considering the environment in its Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy. ARC’s current preferred water security option, includes both raising Malpas dam spillway by 6.5 metres plus buying the old broken Oaky River dam, refurbishing it and constructing a 67km pipeline to pump water to Armidale (and possibly to Malpas) – at costs initially estimated at $26m for Malpas plus $108m for the Oaky scheme plus $870,000/year if 10ML/day is pumped from the Oaky.
Further concerns have been raised about the water use and run-off from water intensive horticulture industries on the Tablelands.
SOMR is seeking more information about Kempsey Shire Council’s knowledge of the impact of upriver water use on the Macleay downstream and collaboration strategies between ARC and KSC.
River bed gravel extraction at Turners Flat
Two extraction sites scaled up from the approved are located in an existing gravel flood-channel of the Macleay River at Turners Flat.
Every time the river rises, the channels created by the gravel extraction cause an increasing retreating nick-point and bank erosion on neighbouring properties.
The Development Approvals for the quarries were issued by Council in 1997.
In a letter to Dept Planning Industry & Environment SOMR asked when the ‘historic’ DA and Controlled Activity Approvals and Licensing can be brought up to current standards and was advised that the Turners Flat operators are required to re-apply for ‘continuation of their Controlled Activity Approval operating conditions’ in early 2025.
SOMR members recently inspected the neighbouring site with permission of the affected property owner where extensive bank degradation can be seen.
Aerial view of extraction site, March 23
Mining and Mining Exploration
Hillgrove Mine, operated by Red River Resources has been in Care & Maintenance mode since Sept 2022.
Halls Peak Mine Critical Resources Ltd (CRL) Exploration EL4474 completed exploratory drilling in 2022 described in their annual report as “administrative in nature”.
Summit Resources’ Windfall Project’, EL 9235 some 200km² Exploration focuses on antimony at historic mines in Mungay Creek, Toorooka and well into Nambucca Shire. Several EL Access Agreements, with compensatory payments have been signed by property owners in the Mungay Creek area. No activities have been reported. The company shares an office address in WA with ‘Critical Resources’ (see Halls Peak).
Estuary Wetlands
Yarrahapinni Wetlands The removal of the levee for full rehabilitation of the Yarrahapinni Wetlands is still only approx 50% completed. In 2007 the task was taken on by National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) from the YWR Trust with funding. The full history of the Yarrahapinni Wetlands can be found on https://saveourmacleayriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/The-Yarrahapinni-Wetlands-Story.pdf
Clybucca Wetlands Macarobinni Gates in the Clybucca Wetlands area are receiving $10,000 pa for repairs and recent concrete restoration works has been carried out by Kempsey Shire Council. SOMR will query Council as this seems to be in contradiction to an earlier Council decision not to fund maintenance for those gates.
Water Quality Monitoring
Early in February SOMR conducted a water test at Mooneba. Using the test kit, it was noted that most of the chemicals have gone past their use-by date. Unfortunately, that made the results unreliable. There is still some money from the initial fund raiser, but not enough, to purchase a new kit required to do further testing. Our attempts to secure a grant have so far been unsuccessful.
Discussions with Council about funding of water monitoring and sharing test data are ongoing.
Currently water testing is needed at Saltwater Creek in South West Rocks to monitor the impact of the adjacent land clearing for the Rise Development, however, the equipment available to Voices of SWR is also inadequate. Other options are being sought.
Illegal Dams in the Clybucca Area
According to a report in The Macleay Argus, the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) is prosecuting business owner Xiuming Lin and company Green Leaf Australia Group Pty Ltd. Each are facing two counts of building dams without approval, four counts of using dams without approval and six counts relating to illegal excavations on waterfront land. It is feared that the illegal excavations cause damage to the adjacent wetlands. The case was listed for mention in Kempsey Local Court on April 6.
Coastal Zone Management Program (CMP)
KSC has issued Expressions of Interest for the preparation of their CMP.
This is advised as being an ongoing multi -staged process, which could take some time to finalise by KS Council.
Draft North Coast Water Management Strategy
The second public exhibition ended in 2022. At the time, SOMR lodged a submission. No response has been received.
Paddle on the Macleay
On 17 September 2023, coinciding with the Gladstone Quality Markets, SOMR will organise Paddle on the Macleay in the Smithtown-Gladstone vicinity. Returning to the starting point in Smithtown, no car shuffle will be needed.
SOMR information stall will be at the Gladstone Market. The paddlers can be greeted and encouraged from the river bank.
* Will not dam the Macleay River The two reservoirs to be built for the pumped hydro power generation will not be in the riverbed. There will be a lower reservoir near the river and an upper reservoir about 600m above. The project will purchase power from the grid to pump water from the lower reservoir to the upper in times of low demand/cost power; and release water, driving the turbines, generating electricity in high demand/cost periods. Profit will be made from the price differences. Only the lower reservoir will initially be filled and topped up as required. The proponents say they will fill and top up the lower reservoir from the Macleay River only during times of high-water flows.
* Will not give water security to the residents of the Kempsey Shire during times of drought. Oven Mountain reservoirs will not contribute to the Kempsey Shire water security. Water released during a drought would soon be absorbed into the riverbed. It would not reach Bellbrook and therefore be of no use. It is not part of the project plan.
* Will provide employment The proponents have estimated that there will be 600 jobs created during the construction phase and have hinted at 1,000 not 3,000 jobs as stated by our local State MP.
* Will store electricity The current proposal for the Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro project aims to provide up to 900MW, not 600MW as originally proposed. Proponents had to resubmit their proposal to the Dept of Planning Industry & Environment (DPIE). There is no net gain in electricity generated from the project.
* Will impact on our roads Road access for the project may be from Kempsey via Armidale Road. It appears that upgrades will initially be paid for by the NSW government.
* Will cost ratepayers & taxpayers So far, the project has been allocated funding of approx. $12 million from the NSW and Commonwealth governments.
* Will submit EIS for community consultation before the decision of the Minister for Planning, Environment and Industry The proponents have engaged consultants to develop the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The document is expected to consist of several hundred pages. The Development Application (DA) and EIS is proposed to be lodged by the end of 2022. Following the DA’s and EIS’s placement on Public Exhibition (by DPIE) the public will have 28 working days to lodge submissions.
* Will be operated by Alinta Energy The land is owned by local family company Hoshac Pty Ltd. The proponents are OMPS Pty Ltd who will hand the project to Alinta Energy when operational.
