Tuesday, 27 May 2025

Water policy

Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (19:36): (1651) My adjournment is for the Minister for Water. The application currently submitted to Southern Rural Water requesting the extension of Alcoa’s groundwater licence to fill their mine requires immediate attention. The action I seek is for the minister to urgently assume decision-making power over this application. In order to submit their work plan variation Alcoa have applied for a licence from Southern Rural Water to extract another 15 gigalitres of water from the upper Eastern View aquifer over the next 10 years to fill an old mine pit to make a toxic lake, while south-western Victoria battles the worst dry period on record. The previous Minister for Water stood in this place and assured the chamber that any plan for mine rehabilitation in Victoria would be assessed on the principle that these sites are made safe, stable and sustainable. While the community of Anglesea are deeply invested in the future of the decommissioned brown coal mine site, their local waterways are facing an immediate threat. Decades of water extraction to aid Alcoa’s operations at the mine have already depleted underground aquifers and caused acidification of the Anglesea River. This has depleted the marine ecology, causing several mass fish kills. Further extraction from this vulnerable aquifer would leave the river with little chance of recovery. It is clear by granting this application the waterways of Anglesea would not be left in a safe, stable or sustainable state, contrary to the commitments made by the previous water minister.

Victoria’s groundwater ecosystems must be protected for future generations. Groundwater acts as a buffer during times of drought as it sits close to the surface and keeps streams running. When groundwater drops the whole landscape loses the insurance that the buffer provides. As we rapidly approach the irreversible warming of our planet we must protect our water sources at all costs. Southern Rural Water’s decision concerning this groundwater licence will directly impact the health of the Anglesea River and the ecosystems that depend on it, as well as the ability of this site to bounce back after decades of mining. It is up to the minister to acknowledge her responsibility for our state’s vulnerable water sources and reject this application.