Update September 2024

The recently presented Macleay Water Quality studies were received with great interest. Other issues SOMR is concerned about are

  • Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro Scheme,
  • Gravel extraction in the riverbed,
  • Growing water use in the Upper Catchment and
  • Water theft for intensive horticulture effecting the coastal wetlands.

Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro Scheme

The NSW Department of Planning Housing and Infrastructure (DPIE) has now published the Submissions Report, containing responses to the 76 public and agency submissions and advice of amendments regarding the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Development Application (DA) for the Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro Scheme – available on DPIE’s Project Portal https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/oven-mountain-pumped-hydro-energy-storage

As with lodging submissions, there were problems accessing the site for several days. Currently, researchers from University of New England and Southern Cross University as well as SOMR members are scrutinising the extensive documents. It is possible to respond once again. Without a clear deadline, comments should be sent as soon as possible to lauren.clear@dpie.nsw.gov.au

The Submissions Report was provided in August 2024 by OMPS Pty Ltd, although Alinta Energy announced acquisition of the project from OMPS Pty Ltd on Dec 23 2023.

Alinta Energy, operating as energy provider in several Australian states is owned by a private investment firm of Hong Kong’s billionaire Cheng family. (for some background, see a 2020 article: https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/The-Big-Story/China-shadows-the-rise-of-Hong-Kong-s-next-tycoons and Wikipedia)

On 19 June 2024, consultants conducted a so called ‘Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro Community Benefit Workshop’ on behalf of the Oven Mountain Project – Alinta Energy at Kempsey Macleay RSL Club. Participation was by invitation only and applicants were screened. While it was stated the project is not yet approved, the presentation and focus of the workshop on “community benefits” resulting from the development can only be seen as promises which raise expectations and hopes and consequently support for approval of the scheme.

Macleay Valley near Oven Mountain – as seen from Mary’s View Outlook Photo: Christa Schwoebel

On 16 July, SOMR President Paul Smith and Secretary Rupert Milne Home met with Michael Kemp, State MP for Oxley, to discuss his support for the OMPHS project. Mr Kemps is liaising closely with Alinta Energy. He dismissed considering the logistical issues leaving this is up to Alinta Energy to resolve and does not wish to investigate alternative sites and energy storage options as he sees this as the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) remit. He said he was keen to see his electorate getting maximum benefits from the project. – i.e. assuming it’s going ahead.

Mr Kemp also advised that the Kempsey-Armidale Road upgrade costs to the State have been elevated from $279m to over $400m.

Riverside Gravel Extraction

Earlier in the year, SOMR lodged a suspicious activity report with NRAR – the NSW Natural Resources Access Regulator – about Gravel Extraction Quarries in an active channel of the Macleay River near Turners Flat. In June, NRAR Project Officers inspected the site and afterwards informed SOMR “Your report to NRAR has been fully investigated and NRAR has taken appropriate enforcement actions in response to the matter. The case has now been closed.” In follow-up conversations with NRAR, a “confidential warning letter” to the operators was mentioned. SOMR applied to access the letter under the Government Information (Public Access) Act (GIPA) and expects a response by the end of September. Residents of the area continue to monitor the activities in the riverbed.

The SOMR post from April 2022 describes the effects on the river in detail https://saveourmacleayriver.com/2022/04/

A letter to Michael Kemp, Member for Oxley has been sent, making him aware of the matter, requesting his assistance in release of the information and the GIPA information request. Apparently, our original email to Michael Kemp was not received due to technical issues and the information has now been resent.

Upper catchment – New England and Armidale Regional Council area

As previously reported, Armidale Regional Council (ARC) is planning for ambitious population growth from 24,000 (Census 2021) to 50,000 by 2040 and the growth of 4,000 jobs based on industry expansion such as the education sector and water intensive horticulture/agriculture.

To “future-proof” the water supply, ARC developed a water security package which includes raising the Malpas dam wall by up to 6.5 metres (announced June 2022) and the Oaky project. The then MP Adam Marshall seemed to have secured $27 million State Government funding for the project. Local groups who are monitoring water flow and quality in the Upper Macleay catchment noticed recently that this item is not recorded in the 2022/2023 State budget and this has been acknowledged by ARC.

Pre-construction work on the concept design phase of Oaky Dam with pipeline to Armidale has been occurring since February 2023; a ‘willingness to pay’ consultation of ARC residents, foreshadowed by the Mayor, is yet to occur.

Logging activity is continuing in the Styx River Native Forest. Conservation groups are encouraging ARC to join other local Councils in urging State Government to halt logging in State Native Forests. Logging in this area has a significant impact on the Styx River, a tributary of the Macleay.

Illegal water harvesting in the Clybucca area

Over many months, a criminal case has been heard about the construction of several dams without permission. 12 charges regarding unauthorised use of water and dam proximity to the wetlands had been laid by NRAR – the NSW Natural Resources Access Regulator against the company Green Leaf Australia and Director Xiuming Lin. Under the directorship and management of Xiuming Lin, the company is operating an extensive horticultural enterprise with nearly 500 green houses near Clybucca and at least nine dams of varying sizes.

For more details about the farm see https://saveourmacleayriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/SOMR-Update-12-2023.pdf

According to Director Xiuming Lin, most of the dams were built by “holiday makers from Taiwan” who used hire equipment. When asked by an NRAR Officer why no approval had been sought, the reply was, “we don’t speak English”.

Late in June, Magistrate Nash handed down his judgement. Both defendants were found guilty of all 16 charges. Sentencing is scheduled for February 2025. For full judgement details got to

https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/1908fb78ef834dc1642f8b34

Macleay River Water Quality Study

SOMR, now in its 12th year, is continuing the work to protect the Macleay. The size of the catchment, the many tributaries, the extractive industries, agriculture and potential pollution of the coastal floodplain give us many and varied points of concern.

Recent issues occupying us include gravel extraction from the riverbed, increasing water use at the top of the catchment and the proposed Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro Scheme.

Overall, the health of the river is at risk.

One of the most important projects SOMR has been involved in is the long term water sampling and quality analysis with the results presented to the interested public at a Community Forum in Kempsey on 8 August.

Over seven years, from 2016 to 2023, SOMR members and citizen scientists Arthur Bain and Nise Grant collaborated with Professor Scott Johnston of Southern Cross University (SCU), collecting water samples for testing.

The samples were taken approximately weekly at Bellbrook Bridge and daily during the post-fire flood event in 2020. The samples were primarily analysed for Arsenic (As) and Antimony (Sb). Professor Johnston identified both as “toxic and carcinogenic metalloids that are common co-contaminants in aquatic environments impacted by mining activities”.

In the Macleay Catchment, the main source of As and Sb contamination are the historic mining tailings in Bakers Creek below Hillgrove. During the 2020 flood which closely followed the fires, many other elements, including potassium, calcium, and nutrients (N/P) became elevated for a short period.

With numerous graphs, Professor Johnston demonstrated the response of these contaminants to changing conditions of the river. The findings reveal that their concentration differs depending on factors such as water temperature, water base flow rate, water level and size of the contaminant particles and ground disturbance.

Go to Professor Johnston’s presentation

In the light of Climate Change with extreme weather events increasing in frequency and intensity, these findings are of concern. In particular the findings that heatwaves and droughts which increase the temperature and reduce the flow of water increases the concentration of contaminants, arsenic in particular.

17% of samples taken in the 7 year period exceeded the WHO drinking water guidelines for safe levels of Antinomy. While the Arsenic concentration did not not exceed the standards, it is said that there are no safe levels for this contaminant.

Go to After the bushfires

Professor Johnston also advised at the Forum that “iron floc” readily takes up arsenic.

Iron floc forms in the base of intermittent creeks where there’s a lot of iron in the soils & geology. Iron oxides with elevated arsenic can be transported downstream during flow events and re-deposited elsewhere in the bed of the river. However, the iron oxides are somewhat unstable and have the potential to release the arsenic that is bound to them if geochemical conditions change. This is a naturally occurring phenomenon, most prevalent where there are a lot of associated metals and minerals present. It is a toxic mix.

Arsenic is in high concentrations, for example below the Mungay Creek antimony mine, which closed in 1972. Should livestock have access to (or humans pump from) the floc area and drink from the water with iron floc, they are likely to ingest the bacteria with the arsenic. Arsenic is an accumulative poison to mammals, which builds up and is very difficult and/or slow to get out of the body. One farmer at the Forum, raising cattle at the mouth of Mungay Creek, reported losing stock to this and advised he would be fencing off his creek frontage.

For many years, scientists from University of New England (UNE) have studied the contamination originating from historic mining, in particular at Bakers Creek. Professor Sue Wilson and her team could not attend the Forum at Kempsey. However, she provided a brief summary of their recent work which was kindly presented by Professor Johnston at the Forum. He has also studied this source of the river contamination.

Go to Brief summary of UNE research

By combining the results of the SCU research with earlier research by UNE allows the conclusion that it will take 600 to 1000 years for the additional Antimony associated with historic mining to be washed out and Bakers Creek to return to natural conditions.

The data derived from these studies provide a unique and excellent baseline for the identification of any impact of future disturbances in the Macleay catchment. Such additional contamination may be caused by further mining or by earthworks necessary for the proposed Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro Scheme. Building two reservoirs as well as the access road and transition lines require major disturbances causing mobilisation of As and Sb and are of great concern for SOMR.

The question is how much more contamination can the river system take before it is too toxic?

Water Quality Forum

SOMR with Southern Cross University and the University of New England will present results of long-term monitoring focused on arsenic and antimony in the Macleay River at Bellbrook.

At the Forum, scientists from Southern Cross and New England University will discuss the seasonal behaviour of arsenic and antimony, answering questions such as how much is being transported downstream, when, in what form, and what are key controls that regulate that transport.

They will also examine the impacts of the catastrophic 2019 bushfires on water quality in the Macleay River and look at how the river recovered from this extreme event.

7th August, 5:00 pm for a light supper, talks from 6-8pm at the Anglican Church Hall, 30 Kemp Street, West Kempsey