"The Clarence River has the largest catchment and is the longest river on the NSW east coast, and our big river or Briemba/Breembia, is our greatest national asset." [Issuu, from Clarence Valley Council - Draft Local Strategic Planning Statement, April 2020]
The Daily Telegraph, 24 August 2021:
Coffs Harbour City Council is being asked to form a united front with its northern neighbours over concerns mining in the Clarence River catchment could put our water supply at risk.
Mayor Denise Knight has put forward a motion before this Thursday’s council meeting to support Clarence Valley Council in opposition to mining in the Clarence River catchment, despite sounding far from resolute on the matter.
A vast majority of the more than 125,000 people in both council areas rely on water from the Clarence River catchment for drinking via the Shannon Creek dam.
Ms Knight would not confirm where she stood on the issue and said she was putting the motion forward as had been requested by Clarence Valley Council Mayor Jim Simmons. “I am just doing them a solid,” she said.
“It is important to listen to the debate and hear what councillors think and feel.” In his letter to Ms Knight, Mr Simmons outlined his council’s position, which is to seek a moratorium on mining and mining exploration.
Clarence Valley Council are also asking the state government to deem the catchment a “no-go zone” for minerals mining due its “unique natural and cultural values”.
“(This is being done) on behalf of the community who are concerned that mining will not only have detrimental environmental effects but also puts at risk our drinking water for the Clarence and Coffs Harbour Council area,” Mr Simmons said.
With the price of precious metals running hot in recent years, exploration licenses have been sought across the region which was once known for its mining.
In September 2020, Christopher Wilson Investments lodged a series of applications with the state government for exploration across 391sq km of land which included parts of Coffs Harbour and Grafton council areas.
The licence in Coffs Harbour covers an area of 198sq km and cuts across the Orara River in between Coramba and Nana Glen.
The increase in licence applications, along with a series of more advanced projects, also prompted local conservation groups to step up efforts to prevent mining in the Clarence catchment.
Clarence Valley Independent, 30 July 2021:
At last week’s Coffs Harbour City Council (CHCC) meeting, the executive summary regarding the reaching of an agreement between Essential Energy, Clarence Valley Council and CHCC – on ownership of water supply infrastructure – concluded, “The final step is to gain the formal consent of Clarence Valley Council and the Essential Energy Board to conclude the transaction to transfer the assets to Clarence Valley Council ownership.”
In an effort to inform the Independent’s readers about the issue, given all of CVC’s discussions have been confidential, here’s a full transcript of CHCC’s executive summary of the matter….
Read the full article here.
NOTE:
* the figure of 129,378 people is based on the combined Clarence Valley & Coffs Harbour City 2020 LGA population projections published by Idcommunity demograpic resources.
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