Shire raises concerns about Anglesea River

A REPORT from the Surf Coast Shire has outlined a series of concerns about the possible impacts on the Anglesea River of decades of groundwater extraction by the Alcoa mine and power station.

Citing increasing community concern about the ongoing acidity in the river and significant reductions in river flow, shire general manager of environment and sustainability Chris Pike questioned the established position that Alcoa’s operations are not linked to the poor health of the river and surrounds.

“The river is now constantly acidic (pH level around 4) and devoid of fish. There has been a dramatic increase in mosquito larvae in the river, posing significant local health risks (including Ross River virus and Buruli ulcer) and requiring ongoing treatment by Council,” he wrote in a letter to Southern Rural Water on June 10.

“The river now barely flows. Despite a string of normal or wetter weather years, the river flows have reduced to around 10 per cent of the long-term averages.

“Low flows are fundamentally changing and unbalancing estuary function. The estuary mouth sand berm is growing and the lack of flow is reducing natural openings which are an important part of a healthy estuary system.”

The shire’s intervention on the issue is at odds with the position of SRW, Alcoa, Eden Project International and now former minister for water Lisa Neville, who have maintained that “there is no evidence that Alcoa’s historic groundwater extraction has caused adverse environmental impacts in the Anglesea River and estuary”.

“Previous studies have concluded that the Anglesea River acid levels are likely to be climate-driven and naturally occurring,” Ms Neville told Parliament in April.

A discussion paper prepared earlier this year by the Friends of Anglesea River (FOAR) and University of Melbourne Professor Ralf Haese challenged these assertions, arguing the groundwater extraction was contributing to the river’s poor health.

Mr Pike said the paper “presented a plausible hypothesis that warrants proper investigation”.

The shire prepared the report for SRW – presented to and endorsed by councillors at their meeting on Tuesday last week (June 28) – as it considers whether to grant Alcoa an extension on the water licence it is using to create a water body in the former Anglesea mine.

“Officers are concerned that the current groundwater and surface water impact assessment being undertaken by SRW and Alcoa will not address Professor Haese and FOAR’s concerns and hypothesis, because the assessment will consider impacts to the current state of the river and catchment, not the healthy past state,” Mr Pike said.

“Barwon Water’s experience with the Barwon Downs borefield would seem to be a recent and relevant point of reference… it offers a cautionary tale.”

In 2019, Barwon Water stopped decades of groundwater pumping from Barwon Downs after studies proved it was draining waterways and exposing toxic soils that were leading to fish kills.