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Have Your Say - Bickham Coal Project

The Bickham Coal Company proposes to develop a new open cut coal mine between the New England Highway and the Pages River, about 15 kilometres south of Murrurundi.

If approved, this coal mine would extract up to 36 million tonnes of coal from two adjacent open cut pits over a period of up to 25 years at a maximum rate of 2 million tonnes per year.

Due to concerns about the potential water impacts, the company was required to undertake a full Water Resource Assessment of the proposed mine and prepare a draft life-of-mine Water Management Plan.

The company has now completed this work, and has submitted it to the Department of Planning.

EXHIBITION

The Department of Planning will exhibit the Water Resource Assessment and the draft Water Management Plan for the Bickham Coal Project from Wednesday 21 October to Friday 4 December 2009.

During the exhibition period, you may:-

• View a copy of the reports at:
  *   Department of Planning, 23-33 Bridge Street, Muswellbrook (1300 305 695);
  *   Upper Hunter Shire Council, 135 Liverpool Street, Scone (6540 1100) and 47 Mayne Street, Murrurundi (6546 6205)
  *   Muswellbrook Shire Council, 157 Maitland Street, Muswellbrook (6549 3700); and
  *   Nature Conservation Council, Level 2, 301 Kent Street, Sydney (9279 2466);
• Download the reports from the Department of Planning  http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/DevelopmentAssessments/Onexhibition/OnexhibitionDraftpoliciesandplansetc/tabid/212/Default.aspx; and
• Ask the Department of Planning (1300 305 695) to send you a copy of the reports on CD (free of charge)

SUBMISSIONS

You are invited to make a submission on the reports.  This submission must be made by Friday 4 December 2009, and should be either:

• Posted to Mining & Industry, Department of Planning, GPO Box 39, Sydney NSW 2001;
• Faxed to: 9228 6466; or
• Emailed to: plan_comment@planning.nsw.gov.au 

The Department of Planning will take these submission into consideration when it reviews the merits of the reports and prior to any full environmental assessment of the project.

INFORMATION SESSIONS

MURRURUNDI (RSL Hall)

Wednesday 11th November, 2009     Evening Session - 6.30pm-8.30pm
Thursday 12th November, 2009         Breakfast Session - 7.30am-9.30am

SCONE (Council Admin Building / Chambers)

Thursday 12th November, 2009         Lunchtime Session - 12.30-2.30pm
                                                     Evening Session - 6.30pm-8.30pm

Bickham consultants have advised the following:

Each session will be around two hours in duration with the format being a 40-45 minute presentation of the water study and the revised mine plan proposal followed by a one hour facilitated question and answer session. The sessions will be recorded and the outcomes reported to the NSW Department of Planning.

To register, contact 1800 031 506 or call in to the Council office at either Murrurundi or Scone to collect a pamphlet.

Contact details
Nick Hall
Tel: 02 9228 6438
plan_comment@planning.nsw.gov.au

© 2008 Upper Hunter Shire Council
This page: http://upperhunter.local-e.nsw.gov.au/news/pages/5198.html