CLARENCE
CATCHMENT ALLIANCE

PROTECT OUR WATER, SAVE OUR RIVERS, CARE FOR OUR CATCHMENT.

Located in the Northern Rivers, NSW, on Bundjalung, Gumbaynggirr, and Yaegl Country.

THE CLARENCE COMMUNITY HAS GRANTED NO SOCIAL LICENCE FOR MINERAL MINING IN OUR WATER & RIVER CATCHMENT.

Mineral mining in areas of high rainfall extremely increases the risk of water contamination. When it rains toxic runoff from tailings dams can wash down or leach into the rivers and flow to the estuaries downstream to the sea.

The Clarence, Nymboida, and Mann Rivers are in danger because of mineral mining exploration. So is our local drinking water.

There are 40+ mineral exploration licences (ELs) in the Clarence Catchment. They are beside the rivers on unstable surrounding plateaus, including Dorrigo the major source of drinking water for the Clarence and Coffs Harbour areas.

Companies are searching for rare earth minerals - copper, cobalt, bauxite, silver, gold, lead, zinc and antinomy to name a few. These are used for many things including batteries.

Local rivers are extremely important to the health of the region’s environment, culture, community, and local industries.

The most progressed sites are in Cangai, Ewingar, the Dorrigo Plateau, and Mt Gilmore between the Gorge and Carnham.

Click the locations to see how close they are to rivers, with steep terrain. These are high rainfall areas and flood zones meaning the risk of toxic runoff, leaks, leaching and tailings dam failure is heightened here.

The community understands that these minerals are needed, but don’t agree with mineral mining in unsuited areas such as water catchments or flood zones. These places get a lot of rain, which makes it more likely that toxic waste from mines could leak into the environment.

This could poison the water with heavy metals and other dangerous chemicals. We’re also strongly against mineral mining in areas that have high ecological and cultural significance, and areas that the existing local economy relies on. We are especially concerned with sites located where endangered animals live.

Mineral mining in the Clarence also threatens air quality, prime agricultural land, sacred sites, and causes deforestation and destruction of habitat.

Australia has had several serious cases where mine waste dams (called tailings dams) have broken. Each time, it has caused big contamination problems for the rivers and water in those areas. You can read more about it here.

Existing local industries such as agriculture, seafood, and tourism generate billions of dollars of revenue for NSW and provide mass employment for locals. They all rely on healthy environments and clean water.

The region is home to protected and endangered species such as the Australian bass, Eastern Freshwater Cod, Platypus, Koalas, and vulnerable birds like the Coastal Emu, Black-Necked Stork and Little Tern. Habitats and breeding would be severely disrupted if mines were approved.

Despite this, exploration licences (ELs) continue to be approved and some dormant mine sites are being reopened.

NSW Government rules say that mining companies must talk to the community as part of the application process, to make sure the public agrees with what they’re doing. This is called gauging Social Licence. But most companies, haven’t tried to speak with our community, some landowners haven’t been notified of exploration near their farms, and most haven’t responded to the CCA’s letters. Even so, the government offers some funding, and some are listed on the stock exchange, and are pushing ahead with their plans.

We ask the NSW Government acknowledge the lack of social licence granted by our community and the heightened risk of water contamination due to high rainfall. We want them to stop approving new exploratory licences, stop renewals and revoke existing licences.

The pursuit of rare earth minerals in this delicate ecosystem not only jeopardises its natural balance but also endangers the very lifeline of the region – its water. The consequences of unchecked mineral mining activities in this area could be catastrophic, leading to irreversible damage to water quality, aquatic life, and the livelihoods and deep cultural ties of those dependent on these resources.

The Clarence Catchment Alliance (CCA) is a community lead not for profit campaign.

It calls for mining legislation changes to protect water catchments and areas of high environmental and cultural significance, even more importantly in flood zones.

We aim to set a precedent for other communities, so our calls to the government extend beyond the Northern Rivers - to safeguard all ecologically and culturally significant water catchments from harm for the future.

Please help us protect our water, save our rivers, and care for our catchment.

FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN HELP

CCA media coverage and campaign history can be accessed here.

A SCARY COMPARISON

These ‘what if’ images of Mt Gilmore near the Gorge, show what it might look like, before and after, if mineral mining extraction is approved. The after shots show the environmental devastation caused by the Cadia Gold Mine near Orange, NSW. Similar mining techniques would be used on Mt Gilmore if approved. Notice the similar farmland and surrounds.

Cadia contamination is found in the the community’s water, air and in residents’ blood, and livestock - caused by dam leakage and dust. Our hearts and support are with this community and we have aligned in solidarity.

CURRENT EXPLORATION LICENCES IN THE CATCHMENT

40+

Exploration Licences (ELs)

6

Exploratoration Licence Applications (ELAs)

18

Mining Leases and Gold Leases (MLs GLs)

4

Mining Purpose Leases

We demand the cancellation of current leases and a stop to new ones. Open-cut and mountain-top removal mining would destroy local plateaus, harm endangered species, and pollute nearby communities. Toxic by-products in tailings dams threaten rivers, sacred to the Bundjalung, Gumbaynggirr, and Yaegl Nations, and vital to farming, seafood, and tourism.

The risks outweigh any potential jobs.

Mining leases can be seen clearly on MinView

THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT! CCA JACARANDA FESTIVAL FLOAT & PROCESSION 2024

ACT NOW

What is the CCA?

The Clarence Catchment Alliance (CCA) is a grassroots, non-partisan, volunteer group dedicated to protecting the Clarence Valley’s plateaus, waterways, ecosystems, species and communities from the destructive impacts of mineral mining. The CCA operates as a sub-group of the Clarence Environment Centre.

Since 2018, the CCA have led the 'No Mines Clarence Catchment' campaign, educating, collaborating, and facilitating an avenue for community voices to be heard.

Opposing over 40 mineral exploration licences in this flood-prone region the long standing campaign has seen many successes but this is a long and difficult fight. Mining in the Clarence poses significant risks, including water and air contamination, deforestation, and destruction of endangered species’ habitats.

The CCA stands against mineral mining in this catchment because of its threats to the Clarence, Mann and Nymboida rivers, areas of high ecological significance, local culture, First Nations heritage sites, and prime agricultural land. Our water-based industries tourism, agriculture, fishing, and prawning are at risk, and no promise of mining jobs can outweigh the damage to these vital sectors. Furthermore, mining is a carbon-intensive industry that accelerates land degradation and undermines efforts to mitigate climate change.

The Clarence River, the backbone of the community’s social, cultural, environmental, and economic well-being, must be recognised as a unique living entity of high conservation value, with deep cultural and social significance. Protecting this river and its catchment is essential for safeguarding our region’s future

FOR THESE MANY REASONS, THE CLARENCE CATCHMENT ALLIANCE AGAIN RESPECTFULLY URGES THE GOVERNMENT TO:

Ban future mineral mining, exploratory and active in the Clarence Catchment
Cease the renewal of and revoke existing exploration licences and mining leases in areas of the Clarence Catchment (i.e. the Clarence Valley and surrounding Local Government Areas) that feed our water source, in recognition of:
-the threatened species and ecological communities found in this region, such as the Eastern Freshwater Cod and Koala
-the region's food, fishing, farming and tourism industries that are reliant on clean water, and the existing thriving economy and employment these industries create
-First Nations, cultural and community ties to the Clarence River, its major tributaries and surrounding lands
-the heightened risk of contamination due to the region's high rainfall and frequent major flooding events.
Join our calls to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces to amend the NSW State Environmental Planning Policy (Resources and Energy) 2021 to add the following as prohibited development:
-Mineral mining and mineral exploration in all parts of the Clarence Valley Local Government Area and the Clarence Catchment's headwaters in the Coffs Harbour, Bellingen, Armidale Regional, Glen Innes Severn, Tenterfield, Kyogle and Richmond Valley Local Government Areas.
Amend the NSW Mining Act 1992 to ban mineral exploration and mineral mining occurring in major urban drinking water catchments, culturally and environmentally sensitive areas, in areas prone to flood and landslips, and across the Clarence Catchment.

MORE ABOUT US

We ask that our major river systemS be recognised as a unique living entities of high conservation, ENVIRONMENTAL, Cultural, social and economic value.

The Problem

Licences held in the Clarence Catchment 2023. Compiled by the CCA. More have since been granted. Updates soon.

The unique biodiversity of the area includes endangered, protected, and threatened species such as the Koala, Eastern Freshwater Cod, and Platypus.

The NSW government protects the Eastern Freshwater Cod and shuts down the upper Mann, Clarence, and Nymboida rivers for three months a year for spawning. The same department approves mineral mining exploration licences on the unstable, sloping land right beside them.

If mining exploration progresses to extraction these plateaus would be reduced to rubble and our water source could be poisoned by chemical and acidic runoff forever.

Mining and tailings dams pose a high risk to waterways, a problem heightened in the Clarence where steep terrain, high rainfall, and fragile geology, combine to contribute to frequent land slippages. The chances of tailings dam failure are heightened due to this.

Evidence from around the world shows the negative impact extractive industries have on waterways and catchments. Tailings dams remain forever, long after mines close and they fail, and leech into waterways. There is a greater risk of this in high rainfall, flood, and landslip zones like the Northern Rivers. This is why we are so opposed to mining here. MINES POISON WATER.

The local Timbarra gold mine did enormous damage to the Clarence River in the 90s, with cyanide contaminating waterways. It was a controversial local battle until it was finally closed. Toxic tailings dams remain, however.

Local professional fishermen remember the mutated seafood of the 70s, linked to the leaching of cyanide and other toxic substances from active gold mines at Drake in the Upper Clarence catchment.

Recent heavy rains and catastrophic floods show how quickly water moves from upriver, through our towns, and into the ocean. Steep terrain and unstable ground mean landslips are common. This highlights how risky mine tailing dams would be in this area. There is a high risk that they would overflow or fail to release contaminants into rivers.

Water is our community's common thread. We have 175+ years of heritage industries as well as more recent sectors that our local economy relies on and they are all water-reliant.

Local seafood, dairy, sugar cane, livestock, agri-food, crops, and tourism, and the industries that serve them, need clean water. No promise of mining jobs can outweigh the potential decimation of the millions of dollars and employment these sectors already provide.

MAKE A DONATION

how you can help protect our water, save our rivers and care for our catchment

Volunteer

Please assist us with our community initiatives, help us raise funds, volunteer to sell merchandise at markets, help plan and attend our functions, help restock our CCA outlets, become an outlet for merchandise if you have a business, distribute our free front yard signs, share images to our socials or share our posts, do some researching, mapping or cultural profiling, or help us with social media. If you have time, skills, or information to share please fill in our volunteers form. We need and appreciate your assistance.

talk

Start conversations and help educate others on the threat to our environment, culture, and local economy. We have provided educational links throughout the website to help inform everyone on what is at stake. Please use and share these links and facts to start broader conversations. Please familiarise yourself with the campaign history, the six years of progress, and wonderful work done by our community. CCA media coverage and campaign information can be found here. Or join us as an official ally. Find out more.

Write

Inform decision-makers on the importance of water and rivers to our community. Help us FLOOD their inboxes with reasons they should recognise the severe threat mineral mining has on the Clarence Catchment. Please familiarise yourself with the issues and share personal stories. Putting names and faces to the potential fallout is important. Please write respectfully and passionately to the NSW Ministers listed here. We have a sample letter too to help. Find out more. Mining in flood zones is a toxic idea!