Our drinking water, our rivers and even our World Heritage areas are threatened by longwall coal mining in the greater Sydney region.

The agency that manages Sydney’s drinking water catchment sees longwall coal mining as one of the biggest threats to our water supply.

NSW’s Chief Scientist said that our catchment is the only publicly owned drinking water catchment in the world where coal mining is allowed.

A 2016 poll found that 84% of people in NSW want farmland, water and environment protected from coal mining and CSG.

But the Government is still giving the tick to coal mining in Sydney’s water catchment.

It’s time that Premier Berejiklian declared Sydney's drinking water catchment a no-go zone for coal and coal seam gas mining.

The map of coal mines beneath Sydney’s water...

Surrounding our vital reservoirs, are the Special Areas, usually kept clean and untouched, to act as natural filtration systems - except for longwall coal mining.

These dams shown above provide 20% of Sydney’s water. Swamps and rivulets currently provide water even during dry times to these dams - until they’re cracked forever from below.

#1. APPIN COAL MINE
Flammable methane leaking through Nepean River due to riverbed cracks caused by nearby longwall coal mining.

#2. METROPOLITAN COAL (PEABODY) MINE
Undermining Woronora Catchment
The once pristine waterway, Waratah Rivulet, in the Woronora Catchment Special Area which flows into Woronora Dam, was cracked and drained by mining in 2006.

#3. RUSSELL VALE COAL MINE
Undermining Cataract Catchment
WaterNSW was scathing about Wollongong Coal’s Russell Vale expansion plan: “The estimated water loss of 7.3 million litres per day is unacceptable, particularly during dry periods.”

#4. DENDROBRIUM COAL MINE
Undermining Cordeaux Catchment
Sept 2016 catchment inspection revealed newly cracked and drained creeks and dry wetlands. WaterNSW objected to a proposal lodged by Illawarra Coal, saying the risks to the Sydney water supply are “unacceptably high.” Recently, Professor Jim Galvin has warned of “potential permanent consequences for the Sydney Drinking Water Catchment Metropolitan Special Area.” A Department of Planning report has revealed that precious rainfall that should be feeding Sydney's dams and drinking water supply is being drawn into polluted mining voids underground.