We had a stream of community members attend our session at Bendigo Library and had some great conversations on the night.
Community members were shown our proposed plans for a water treatment plant at the decommissioned Kangaroo flat mine site. The plant design will deliver a long-term solution to prevent mining impacted groundwater water from seeping into Bendigo Creek.
Questions from Bendigo’s community
We received questions about project funding, potential impacts from the construction and once the facility starts operating. Residents were keen to understand how operators would manage noise and odour impacts and the effect of the water releases into Bendigo Creek.
What we said
Planning
We advised attendees that project funding was coming from the Victorian Government. Funding for this project was announced as part of the 2022-2023 State Budget.
Before the construction, DEECA will need to apply and receive approval from EPA for a development license, which will allow groundwater from Central Deborah Gold Mine to be treated at the water treatment facility and released into Bendigo Creek. The groundwater needs to be thoroughly treated to remove arsenic, metals and odour. We anticipate low levels of salinity released into the creek, however, it won’t impact the health of the creek.
We know the salinity found in groundwater is an important issue to the community. DEECA has engaged with local organisations who support the proposed water release approach, including DJAARA, Reimagining Bendigo Creek partnership, North Central Catchment Management Authority and City of Greater Bendigo.
Construction
During the construction stage, residents are likely to notice some increased construction traffic, but this will be less than when the Kangaroo Flat mine was operational. There will be peak traffic periods and quieter times during construction. The community will be kept informed about project milestones and the works program.
Operations
Once in operation, it is anticipated about two trucks per month will deliver operating supplies and transport waste away from the site to a licensed facility.
We don’t expect residents to hear the plant once it starts operating, and the facility operators will need to meet EPA’s noise attenuation regulation. An acoustic shed will likely be built over the water treatment plant to mitigate noise impacts. In addition, an Odour Control Facility will help protect residents from any odour produced by the plant.
