Have your say, as mining company sets sights on Newcastle

In a move that has sparked widespread concern in Newcastle, a mining company is gearing up to submit an application for mining rights in the western region of the city.

The Project involves open pit mining, and potential future underground mining of coal, over various farm portions west of Newcastle.

Up to seven open pits have been identified for exploitation with concurrent backfilling.

According to the mine, processing will be limited to crushing, screening and sorting of coal on site (no washing is proposed). Supporting infrastructure (security, office, workshop, roads, water management infrastructure etc.) is also included.

Additionally, it involves various associated infrastructure and services, including stockpiles, roads, stormwater management facilities, and coal processing installations for crushing, screening, and sorting.

Furthermore, the open pit mining in the eastern portion of the site is proposed to comprise roll-over mining of up to seven pits. The pits will be mined in sequence, and not all pits will be open at any given time.

“Given variable coal qualities, it is likely that more than one pit will have to be open simultaneously, to allow for blending of different coal qualities on site, to meet the required product qualities. Roll-over mining implies that new cuts are opened when mined-out cuts are rehabilitated. All coal from an area, including the lowest seam, must be removed before the excavation can be backfilled,” reads a report from the mining company’s environmental consultants.

Minetek Resources, the mining company behind the project, has identified the application area as located 5 kilometres west of Newcastle, spanning a vast 3,269 hectares of land. The surface activities will be primarily concentrated in the eastern half of the application area, covering the remaining extent of Portion 1 of the Farm Craig 2989-HS and Portion 2 and 4 of the Farm Waterfall 3335HS. However, future underground mining is scheduled for the western portion of the application area, spanning the farms Dumblane 3317-HS (portions 2 and 3), Waterfall 3335-HS (Portion 1), Harwarden 8915-HS, and Glen Ashton 8589-HS (Portion 3 of 1).

Furthermore, the company has designated the D96, Allen Street and the R34, commonly known as the Memel Road, as the transportation routes that will be significantly impacted by the mining activities.

Lelani Claassen, an Environmental Consultant from Cabanga Environment, explained that the mandatory Scoping Report had been completed and approved by the Department of Mineral and Resources in March 2023.

The report, conducted at the early stage of project evaluation, identifies several potential impacts associated with the project, including loss or degradation of sensitive habitats and species, reduced agricultural land, surface water quality deterioration, groundwater quantity and quality impacts, visual alterations, increased dust, emissions, noise, and traffic, as well as impacts on heritage resources.

Claassen emphasised that while there will be adverse impacts on the surrounding areas, the mining company is committed to mitigating these issues and ensuring minimal harm to the Newcastle environment. The Scoping Report also highlighted plans for rehabilitation once the mining operations are completed.

The report also points out that the direct negative socio-economic impacts of the project relate primarily to the loss of agricultural land of the landowners and the workers currently employed on the affected farms and the change in land use from agriculture to mining.

The project could also have a negative socio-economic impact on surrounding tourism related activities, for example, the Grey Goose Lodge may have a clear view of the proposed Project elements.

Furthermore, the report explained that a visual impact assessment had been commissioned as part of the EIA-phase. The project will be associated with job opportunities that will accrue to locals where the required skills are available locally.

However, the prospect of a coal mine within Newcastle’s borders has not been well received by the community. Mandy Austin of Majuba Lodge expressed her fears, stating, “If the mine does come to Newcastle, the town will become a dust bowl. It will also damage our wetlands, our aviary life will be destroyed, and if the mine’s pollution dam fails, it will run into the Ncandu River and impact everyone.”

Austin identified the suburbs most likely to be affected, including Aviary Hill, Hutten Heights, Lennoxton, and Amiel Park. Therefore, she is calling on all Newcastle residents to attend the public meeting scheduled for Saturday, 11 November 2023, to voice their concerns and potentially halt the proposed mining project.

As the mining project will also impact his land, Dr Brian Wilson of Grey Goose Game Lodge was contacted for comment, but no comment was available at the time of publication.

So far, the mining company has conducted two EIA-Phase meetings in October 2023, with a third scheduled for Saturday, 11 November 2023, at the Newcastle Town Hall from 12 pm to 5 pm.

Claassen encouraged the community’s attendance, assuring that she could provide clarity on the mining project and the steps ahead. However, Austin is calling on all residents to come forward and attend the meeting to ensure that it does not materialise to protect the town from the negative implications that come hand in hand with the project.

To understand more about the project, Claassen has provided the following reports to give the community a better understanding of what can be expected:

• To read more about the impact on traffic, read the specialist assessment report by clicking here (E10 – traffic)
• To read more about the impact on soil and agriculture, read the specialist assessment report by clicking here (E01 – Sand +Agriculture).
• To read more about the impact on fauna and flora, read the specialist assessment report by clicking here (E05 – TerrestrialBiodiversity (faina+flora)
• To read more about the impact on freshwater and aquatic ecological assessment, read the specialist assessment report by clicking here. (E06 – Aquatic and wetlands)
• To read more about the potential impacts on surface water resources, read the specialist assessment report by clicking here (E07-hydrology)
• To read more about the impact on air quality, read the Air Quality Assessment report by clicking here (E12 – Air Quality)
• To learn more about the Newcastle coal project, click here (00-NewcastleCoalProject_EMPr-forPPP-Sept2023)
• To learn more about the company’s high-level waste management procedures, read the specialist report by clicking here (AppendixG8-WasteManagementProcedure)

As the Newcastle community grapples with the impending mining expansion, the question arises:  What are your thoughts on the above mentioned? Do you think the mine will benefit Newcastle or be a problem? Will you be attending the meeting on Saturday, 11 November 2023, to voice your opinion on the possible mining project? Share your views in the comment section below.