NSW to grant coalmines licences for water from Sydney and Illawarra drinking catchments

The Perrottet government has introduced new rules that will grant coalmines licences for water from the drinking catchment for Sydney and the Illawarra region.

The government quietly gazetted the rules a day before the caretaker period commenced for the New South Wales election campaign.

The new rules direct Water NSW to issue licences to the Dendrobium, Metropolitan, Russell Vale and Wongawilli mines and are intended to deal with surface water that was already running from waterways into the mines.

While environmental campaigners have been calling for the government to regulate surface water loss at mine sites, they say they are concerned the last-minute changes have been made without clear protections for the catchment or cost arrangements.

They are also concerned about how the water take will be measured and limited.

He said the decision was made in response to issues raised by the independent expert panel for mining.

He said the new rules would not affect water supply to Sydney and potential effects of mining on the environment and water were rigorously assessed in NSW.