Managing Anticipated Mining
Related Impacts in the
Liverpool Plains Shire Council
Area
Watermark Community
Consultative Committee
Meeting – 21 April 2010
Ron Van Katwyk
Director Environmental Services
Liverpool Plains Shire Council
Introduction
• Current Planning Approvals Process is
designed to ensure impacts / issues are
addressed in advance and stakeholders
(Council included) are given the opportunity to
provide constructive input.
• The impacts will be cyclical (Exploration 
Construction  Operation  Rehabilitation 
Post Operation) and all phases will impact the
Liverpool Plains community differently and in
turn require different planning and
preparation. This is further complicated by
operators progressing through the phases at
different rates and times.
• This presentation attempts to categorise the
anticipated impacts (environmental, economic and
social) and address them by way of a PressureState-Response (P-S-R) framework commonly
found in Council State of Environment Reports.
P-S-R Framework
Fig.28 from page 29 of Namoi Region State of Environmental Effects Report 2008/09.
Current activities impacting
on the LPSC area
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Whitehaven Coal Ltd – Operational Phase of an
open-cut mine at Werris Creek currently expanding
and projecting at least 20 more years of extraction.
Caroona Coal Project – Exploration Phase of a longwall underground proposal at Caroona – say 2 to 3
more years of research.
Shenhua Australia Holdings Pty Ltd – Exploration
Phase of an open-cut proposal immediately to the
north of the LPSC / Gunnedah boundary. Say 2 to 3
more years of research.
Santos Ltd – Exploration Phase for gas extraction –
duration and locality of activity to be determined.
Existing mining activity to the north.
Existing mining activity to the west.
Economic
Impact State
Pressure
Response
Rating
calculations
•Property rates
calculated on a valuation
basis.
•Opportunity for Council
to expand the rate
income from the mining
category.
•Sale price of land
purchased for mining or
related purposes will
affect property
valuations.
•Mining companies will
be reluctant to contribute
to Council in the form of
rates as there is little
opportunity for public
relations benefit.
•Does not necessarily
mean additional rate
income for Council (rate
pegging).
•Council will need to
proactively address the
impact of valuation
changes (eg. liaise with
Valuer General’s office)
and ensure equity is
maintained in rating
structure.
Demands on
Council staff
resources
•Current Council
workforce is structured
in both number and
skills areas to respond to
current known demands.
•Council is already
experiencing difficulty in
retaining skilled workers.
•Contributing to the
Development Assessment
process, servicing
resident enquiries and
understanding new landuse activity needs will
divert available
resources.
•Mining companies are
better placed to attract
skilled workers.
•Council to monitor
changing demands of
this resource and
respond appropriately.
•Council to determine
other strategies to stay
competitive with mining
companies.
Economic - continued
Impact
State
Pressure
Response
Worker
accommodation
•Some existing
facilities and
significant
opportunity to satisfy
demand in all urban
areas and at all
levels.
•Demand for high
level motel type
accommodation.
•Council’s economic
development staff are
actively promoting
the opportunity for a
four star motel and
restaurant in
Quirindi to private
sector investors.
•Redevelopment has
occurred of an
existing 32 room
retirement home
complex to a serviced
apartment type
facility targeting
medium term mine
worker
accommodation.
Henry’s Guesthouse
Economic - continued
Impact
State
Pressure
Response
Industrial type
land-uses
•Current zones
service some activity
in this area. Scope
for expansion.
•Mining activity will •Council to promote
generate demand for the availability of
support industries.
established and
foreshadowed areas.
•Council to regulate
to minimise adverse
impacts.
Drilling services
Economic - continued
Impact
State
Pressure
Response
Threat to
agricultural land
•Liverpool Plains
recognised for
significant
contribution to
food and fibre
production. Large
areas in LPSC
area.
•Indiscriminate
mining activity
could damage
underground
water sources (eg.
interconnectivity
issues).
•Some competition
for available
resources.
•Impacts of long
wall mining
subsidence.
•Namoi
Catchment Water
Study is proposed
to address this
concern.
•Stakeholders will
analyse data
provided by mine
proponents when
Development
Applications are
made public.
Economic - continued
Impact
State
Pressure
Response
Road
infrastructure
•Current funding
for local and
regional roads
insufficient to
maintain and
upgrade current
assets especially in
black soil areas.
•Potential increase in
large vehicle usage.
•Potential increase in
wide load movements.
•Increased usage will
raise maintenance
demands and the need
to raise standards.
•Potential subsidence
under Coonabarabran
Road.
•Council to lobby for
additional funds for local
roads eg. a percentage of
state royalties similar to
the Western Australia
model.
•Council to seek
royalties for transport
activities on “mining
roads” as part of the
Development Application
process.
•Council to investigate
the need to re-classify
some roads with severe
impacts.
•Council to investigate
use of traffic counters to
provide benchmark data.
•Council to encourage
by-pass of main streets
by heavy vehicles.
Social
Impact State
Pressure
Response
Lifestyle
•Mining activities can
impact on air quality
(dust), aesthetics (night
and day), consumption
of available water
resources, noise levels
and road transport
infrastructure (damage
and congestion).
•Council to review the
data provided by
applicants as part of
the Development
Application process, in
particular bench
marking in these key
areas is essential.
•Council to lobby for
additional services to
match growth rates in
related areas (eg. 24hr
policing if necessary).
•Current state of the
environment is
generally very attractive
to those seeking a rural
lifestyle.
•Current population
levels and competition
from neighbouring
larger population
centres hinder the
expansion of basic /
essential services such
as preschools, schools,
hospital services,
doctors and allied
medical services,
government agencies
and police.
Social - continued
Impact State
Pressure
Response
Lifestyle
(continued)
•In order to attract
families and foster
community growth
these services need
to be in place and
responsive to
community needs.
•Council acknowledges the
capital contributions made
to date assisting numerous
local initiatives (see
photographic examples) by
way of contributions from
mining company community
development funds.
•Social
infrastructure needs
such as education
initiatives,
entertainments
venues, sporting
facilities, services for
the very young and
elderly exist.
Community Development Fund Projects
Social - continued
Impact State
Pressure
Response
Single worker
demographic
•Demand will increase for
sporting and entertainment
facilities.
•Potentially no increase in
volunteering of assistance to
junior sports or aged support
services (such as meals on
wheels).
•Mining related workers will
potentially have more
disposable income than other
workers.
•Potential for alcohol related
anti-social behaviour.
•Increase in shift work
practices will impact on
neighbourhood noise,
domestic harmony, shopping
hours and related lifestyle
impacts.
•Council to
encourage
development and
utilisation of existing
urban infrastructure
rather than worker
camps (either “wet”
or “dry”).
•Community
structures do not
currently have an
imbalance in this
area.
Social - continued
Impact State
Pressure
Response
Specialised
work
opportunities
•Liverpool Plains Shire
has currently one
operational mine.
•Specialised nature of
both open-cut and long
wall mining will, in the
first instance, draw
from existing mining
areas to satisfy this
need.
•Council to encourage
employment service
organisations to recruit
locally where possible
and assist in providing
job opportunities for
local youth.
Education
facilities
•Quirindi’s TAFE
campus is currently
established to service a
wide variety of needs.
•Changing land-uses
will support the need
for additional services.
•Council to support
and encourage
expansion of education
opportunities in a local
setting.
Environmental
Impact State
Pressure
Response
Rail transport
corridors
•Increased rail
traffic generates
more coal / dust
spillage, noise and
disruption to road
traffic especially
emergency services
as trains become
longer and slower
(up inclines).
•Mining needs may
reduce passenger
and other freight
services (eg. grain).
•Accommodation
needs for design /
construction crews
and train drivers.
•Council to continue to lobby
for covered coal carriages.
•Council to continue to lobby
for overpasses or like solutions
to trains blocking cross town
road traffic.
•Council to lobby coal carriers
to minimise noise in proximity
to urban areas eg. speed limits.
•Council to enquire as to
alternative routes for coal from
future mines to the west and
possible impacts on passenger
and grain freight services.
•Council’s economic
development staff are actively
promoting short stay
accommodation opportunities
in Werris Creek to private
sector investors.
•North/South and
West/South
corridors are
experiencing
significant use and
undergoing
modification and
improvement to
cater for expanded
services.
•Lines bisect
Quirindi, Werris
Creek and Willow
Tree communities.
•Passenger and
grain cartage
services available.
•Coal carriages
currently travel
uncovered.
Environmental - continued
Impact State
Pressure
Response
Amenity
concerns
•See comments in
Social and Economic
sections concerning
water, aesthetic, night
glow, dust and noise
impacts.
•Stakeholders have the
opportunity to ensure
adequate mitigation
measures are in place
as part of the
Development
Application process.
•Environmental threats
are sustainably
managed.
Conclusion
Partnerships
• For the Liverpool Plains Shire community to mature and benefit
from mining activity, vigilance will be required by all stakeholders to
ensure that the new activity and new money are part of a
sustainable economic expansion that is not detrimental to existing
economic drivers such as agriculture, forestry and equine
industries. Affirmative and supportive action by mining companies
will play a significant role in this process.
Long term planning
• As extractive industries are cyclical in nature, desirable and
sustainable longer term community gains will require well informed
and proactive planning.
Regional Competition
• Liverpool Plains Shire communities will need to work harder to
attract the “flow-on effect” of increased economic activity given the
size advantage of neighbouring service centres. The “affordable”
lifestyle, proximity to the Hunter Valley and existing rail
infrastructure advantages will need vigorous promotion.