Dear all
Graham raises a point in his last sentence that I am very concerned
about, having just driven to and from Murrurundi (Upper Hunter Valley
NSW) and Gloucester. Huge open-cut mines are in operation between
Singleton and Musselbrook. Most activity is hidden behind raised banks
and new tree plantings so that we cannot easily view the devastation
this form of mining has on the land, or the size of storage pits and
waste, particularly polluted water from coal washing and other
activities. We are not allowed to enter these areas to assess any
direct affects to the local wildlife - most of which has to be destroyed
by the mining processes. How many ducks or other waterbirds settle on
the noxious settling tanks? What happens to the water tables and
ground water?
Here in Gloucester we are faced with new coal, gas, gemstone and gold
mining proposals, all of which present threats to our water supplies
that originate in Barrington Tops National Park. Waters in the Avon,
Gloucester and Barrington Rivers provide irrigation and drinking to a
large area and thousands of people, stretching to and beyond Taree. I
cannot believe that any mining operation occurs without some accidents.
If we have an accident, like a holding dam bursts, containing highly
saline water or other noxious matter, which is quite likely during one
of our "extreme weather events", ground water can become polluted for
years to come and that means our town water could be undrinkable, but
worse, trees and anything that grows on the affected ground will be
poisoned, and that means habitat for all the wild life. This would be an
extreme event but it happened in the Pillaga when a gas mining operation
holding dam burst. If anyone is interested, have a look at the web site
- www.australiangasalliance.com - set up by the group who defeated
gas mining proposals in the Jilliby Creek/Wyong catchment area on the
NSW Central Coast.
Gloucester has set up a Steering Committee to investigate these new
mining proposals. We may need support from birding-aus members to
protect are dwindling woodland birds, particularly the Grey-crowned
Babblers, whose territories are directly affected by increased coal
mining proposals. They've already lost a large area, and the new
proposals could take away some of the best remaining dry open woodland
edging the river valleys. I'll keep birding-aus posted.
One question, one observation on this discussion.
Is it reasonable to compare the number of bird strikes in the US to
Australia? Are the migration patterns, numbers and size of birds such
that similar effects would be expected here?
And secondly, the number of birds killed by wind farms are immediately
obvious with dead birds (and bats) obvious at the bottom of the
blades. The number of animals killed by other forms of power
generation are hidden. The effects of global warming may be very
subtle and difficult to dectect. The effects of open cut mining are
obvious only away from the power generation areas, often away from
public view. Thus it is difficult to compare the two.
Cheers Graham Turner
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