THE proposed sale of Bathurst’s treated effluent to the operators of a new gold mine planned for Kings Plains is set to become a key issue at council elections in September.
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Regis Resources is pushing ahead with plans for its McPhillamys Gold Project that it says could create 200 new jobs in the region.
Regis put a proposal to Bathurst Regional Council in 2015 to buy between eight and 10 megalitres of treated effluent a day from the Waste Water Treatment Works – equivalent to the plant’s daily output to the Macquarie River.
The water would be used for mineral processing, metal recovery, dust suppression, staff amenities and firefighting at the new mine about 30 kilometres west of Bathurst.
The plan angered local conservationists when revealed by the Western Advocate and Regis’ plans were put on hold when the company was sent away to produce an environmental impact statement in support of its proposal before final determination by council.
That was more than 12 months ago and while council has yet to hear any more from Regis, NSW general manager Rod Smith has confirmed to the Western Advocate that the company is pushing ahead with its plans.
”Regis intends in due course to complete the follow up work requested by the [council] so as to allow a full consideration of the proposal to use treated effluent for the McPhillamys project,” Mr Smith said.
Former councillor Tracey Carpenter, one of the driving forces behind a community campaign opposing the sale of treated effluent to Regis, said nothing had happened in the past 12 months to soften opponents’ views on the proposal.
“We can’t see any justification that the river might be in a better state as a result of extraction,” Ms Carpenter said.
“We still regard this as fundamental to the wellbeing of the community.”
Ms Carpenter said there had been no discussion among members of Don’t Mine The Macquarie about running candidates for the council election but said the proposed sale should be one of the big issues on the agenda.
“It’s certainly something that people who are standing and everybody voting should be thinking about,” she said.
“There was certainly strong opposition from the community about this sale and clearly Regis intends to continue with its plans.
“This should certainly be an election issue.”
Bathurst will go the polls on Saturday, September 9.
