A bold new plan to supply water to a number of proposed coal mines in the Galilee Basin from two North Queensland rivers has been submitted to the federal government for approval.
If approved, the plan would see water from the Cape and Campaspe rivers feed the proposed Adani and Mac Mines in Central Queensland, eliminating the need for these projects to access underground water, and effectively speeding up the approvals process.
According to the CQ News, the proposed Northern Water Infrastructure System would pipe 600,000-700,000 megalitres of river water from a site south of Charters Towers, through a 123km pipeline to the Galilee Basin mines.
Galilee Water Pty Ltd is the company behind the project. Former miner and State Treasurer, Keith De Lacy is Chair of the company.
Mr De Lacy told the CQ News that no groundwater would be needed by any of the mines if the deep cell storage facility went ahead.
“We’re just a group with expertise in this area and we can see wholesale solutions for everyone’s benefits without any negatives,” Mr De Lacy said.
“We see this as a centralised water solution for the Galilee Basin, initially the northern area, but potentially the whole of the Galilee.
“There won’t be a range of water storage initiatives, it will be centralised and it will eliminate the need for miners to take underground water.
“All we’re proposing is to meet their water needs with this solution so they can get on with developing the mine.”
Mr De Lacy said usage would be styled on a “take or pay” agreement.
“We can provide it (water) much more economically than the mines can provide it for themselves,” he said.
Well what about the destruction of the Bimblebox Nature Reserve and associated wildlife flora and fauna, the shipping of coal through the GBR and the fact that this volume of anticipated coal extraction will significantly contribute to existing Climate Change Chaos. Right now the worlds best scientists in every field are totally against any more co2 to enter the atmosphere.. Especially in this anticipated volume .. The maths on this is loud and clear.. Basically the action of coal mines in the Galilee is Ecocide, goes against international recommendations about co2 targets, is negligent in the highest order re our children forced to live in dystopian world of trillion dollar economic meltdown because of short sighted politics/industry bed-sharing?!
Wouldn’t they still need to access underground water to de-water the mines in the first place? That is to say, that drawdown effects will still hit boreholders/landholders and the environment too. Not sure about the veracity of the statement that the plan would ‘eliminate the need for these projects to access underground water’. It may just reduce their need to use it. Am I missing something here, or am I being misled?