Rocky Hill Coal: groundwater impact assessment

The Rocky Hill Coal project was a proposed open-cut coal mine located approximately 100 km north of Newcastle, New South Wales. The project occurs within the Gloucester Basin and targets the Gloucester Coal Measures. We were engaged to complete a groundwater impact assessment as part of the project’s Environmental Impact Statement. This involved review of historic data and field studies to gain an in-depth understanding of the hydrogeological regime for development of the conceptual groundwater model.

A key consideration of the project was to quantify the potential for the project to impact upon the Avon River and Waukivory Creek occurring immediately to the west and south of the mine area. The potential for cumulative impacts from planned coal seam gas and active coal mining within the region also required quantification. To address these issues, we developed a numerical groundwater model in MODHMS to simulate natural groundwater processes and system stresses from mining and in order to predict potential changes due to the project. The model also simulated groundwater/surface water interactions using the various capabilities of MODHMS.

Client

R.W Corkery & Co Pty Ltd on behalf of Gloucester Resources Ltd

Project

Rocky Hill Coal: groundwater impact assessment

Sector

Mining

Services

Field services, conceptual modelling, numerical modelling

Outcomes we've delivered

Outcomes we’ve delivered

The outcomes included:

  • quantification of groundwater take from the Avon River and Gloucester Basin water sources, for licensing purposes
  • predicted changes in water levels and quality in the various aquifers, as well as the Avon River and Waukivory Creek
  • assessment of impacts on key receptors, including private landholder bores and groundwater dependent ecosystems.

We have enjoyed a continued involvement with the project and in mid-2016, we updated the original 2013 groundwater impact assessment to represent amendments to the project.

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Our team’s expertise is in groundwater modelling, field services, approvals and licensing, water supply, contaminant investigation, expert advisory, and hydrogeochemistry. Learn more about our services by clicking the link below.