![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Pool-in-article-2022-07-11T162832.197.png\")
It is a win for the Friends of Anglesea River (FOAR) group, who earlier this year commissioned a discussion paper from hydrological expert Professor Ralf Haese from the University of Melbourne that concluded it was highly likely Alcoa\u2019s drawdown of the water table was affecting the river.<\/p>\n
Although the paper has been forwarded to planning and water authorities responsible for managing the Alcoa site, FOAR \u2013 and now the council \u2013 do not believe issues raised in the paper are being sufficiently considered.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you avoid looking for evidence, then you won\u2019t find it,\u201d FOAR\u2019s Dick O\u2019Hanlon said.<\/p>\n
He said the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority and SRW should be \u201cembarrassed that they have made no effort to respond to any of the points raised in the discussion paper.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlcoa at least took the trouble to understand the paper and make a direct, although unconvincing, response.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anglesea Ward councillor Mike Bodsworth received a round of applause from fellow councillors after speaking on the issue at last week\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a complex issue and we need expert analysis of the impact of historical groundwater extraction,\u201d Cr Bodsworth said.<\/p>\n The council\u2019s submission is among between 30 and 40 others lodged against the proposal.<\/p>\n The council has also called for more respectful engagement with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners; consideration of any relevant lessons from groundwater extraction causing acidification at the Barwon Downs borefield; for the findings from hydrogeological research to be shared with the Anglesea community, and for the council to involved in development of an Anglesea River and Catchment Recovery Plan, including environmental goals and how they might be achieved.<\/p>\n An SRW spokesperson recently stated the organisation was assessing all submissions but was unable to provide a timeline of when it will make a decision on Alcoa\u2019s application.<\/p>\n In its June community update, issued last week, Alcoa stated the pump test \u201chas run in accordance with the licence and analysis of the data so far has not identified any adverse impact on groundwater dependent ecosystems including the Anglesea River.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" THE SURF Coast Shire has opposed Alcoa\u2019s application to continue pumping groundwater into its former coal mine in Anglesea, calling instead for an urgent investigation into the poor health of the town\u2019s river system. State water and planning authorities, along with Alcoa, state that there is \u201cno evidence\u201d that decades of pumping water from an […]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Pool-in-article-2022-07-11T163321.880.png\")