The Ashton Coal Project CONTENTS 3.0 ANALYSIS OF EXISTING ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................... 1 3.1 Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 1 3.2 Regional Setting.................................................................................................................. 1 3.3 Climate ................................................................................................................................2 3.3.1 Temperature and Humidity .................................................................................... 2 3.3.2 Rainfall................................................................................................................... 4 3.3.3 Wind....................................................................................................................... 4 3.3.4 Inversions ............................................................................................................... 5 3.4 Air Quality........................................................................................................................... 5 3.4.1 Existing Air Quality in Camberwell....................................................................... 5 3.5 Acoustic Environment......................................................................................................... 9 3.5.1 Ambient Noise Levels............................................................................................ 9 3.5.2 Noise and Vibration Criteria ................................................................................ 10 3.5.3 Blasting................................................................................................................. 13 3.6 Surface Water.................................................................................................................... 14 3.6.1 Water Quality....................................................................................................... 14 3.6.2 Bowmans Creek Catchment ................................................................................. 16 3.6.3 History of Flooding .............................................................................................. 16 3.6.4 Predicted Extent of Flooding in the Vicinity of the Ashton Coal Project ........... 17 3.6.5 Geomorphology of Bowmans Creek.................................................................... 19 3.6.6 Surface Drainage.................................................................................................. 19 3.7 Groundwater Systems ....................................................................................................... 19 3.7.1 Coal Measures...................................................................................................... 19 3.7.2 Alluvium............................................................................................................... 20 3.7.3 Groundwater Levels and Flow ............................................................................. 20 3.7.4 Groundwater Quality............................................................................................ 20 3.7.5 Groundwater Use.................................................................................................. 20 3.8 Regional Geology.............................................................................................................. 21 3.9 Soils................................................................................................................................... 21 3.9.1 Field Investigation................................................................................................ 22 3.9.2 Land Capability.................................................................................................... 22 3.9.3 Agricultural Suitability......................................................................................... 23 3.10 Flora, Fauna and Aquatic Habitat ..................................................................................... 24 3.10.1 Flora Assessment.................................................................................................. 24 3.10.2 Fauna Assessment ................................................................................................ 26 3.10.3 Aquatic Assessment ............................................................................................. 26 Section 3 - Analysis of Existing Environment 1 The Ashton Coal Project 3.11 Heritage ............................................................................................................................. 28 3.11.1 Aboriginal Archaeology....................................................................................... 28 3.11.2 Heritage ................................................................................................................ 29 3.12 Land Use ........................................................................................................................... 31 3.13 Social Environment........................................................................................................... 32 3.13.1 Regional Setting ................................................................................................... 32 3.13.2 Population and Growth......................................................................................... 32 3.13.3 Housing Structure................................................................................................. 33 3.13.4 Income .................................................................................................................. 33 3.13.5 Employment ......................................................................................................... 33 3.13.6 Services ................................................................................................................ 34 3.14 Economic Environment..................................................................................................... 36 3.14.1 Regional Economy ............................................................................................... 36 3.14.2 Local Economy..................................................................................................... 38 3.15 Transport ........................................................................................................................... 39 3.15.1 Roads and Traffic................................................................................................. 39 3.15.2 Rail ....................................................................................................................... 40 3.16 Visual ................................................................................................................................40 3.16.1 South of the New England Highway.................................................................... 41 3.16.2 North of the New England Highway.................................................................... 41 3.17 Utility Services.................................................................................................................. 42 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 3.1 Jerrys Plains, Weather Station Climatic Data……………………………………………. 3 TABLE 3.2 Liddell Power Station, Weather Station Climatic Data………………………………….. 4 TABLE 3.3 Health Based Air Quality Standards/Goals For Particulate matter Concentrations………6 TABLE 3.4 NSW EPA Amenity Based Criteria For Dust Fallout……………………………………. 6 TABLE 3.5 24-Hour Pm10 Concentrations In Central Camberwel…………………………………… 8 TABLE 3.6 Annual Average Dust Deposition at Camberwell……………………………………….. 8 TABLE 3.7 Dust Deposition Data from Ashton Coal Project Monitoring Network…………………. 9 TABLE 3.8 Measured Ambient Noise Levels……………………………………………………….. 10 TABLE 3.9 EPA Recommended Leq Noise Levels from Industrial Sources……………………….. 10 TABLE 3.10 Combined Noise Levels from Existing and Approved Mines dB(A)Leq………………. 11 TABLE 3.11 EPA Criteria for Operational Noise Levels…………………………………………….. 11 TABLE 3.12 Blasting Criteria to Limit Damage to Buildings…………………………………………14 TABLE 3.13 Background Water Quality Data for Bowmans Creek (W1), Glennies Creek (W2), Hunter River (W3)…………………………………………….... 15 TABLE 3.14 Hunter River Flood Levels 17 Section 3 - Analysis of Existing Environment 2 The Ashton Coal Project TABLE 3.15 Predicted Peak Flood Levels Along Bowmans Creek 18 TABLE 3.16 Land Capability Classification 23 TABLE 3.17 Freshwater Fish Species Recorded from Glennies Creek and Locality 27 TABLE 3.18 Hunter Valley Exports – Port of Newcastle 1997 – 2000 37 TABLE 3.19 Hunter Primary Production 1995/96 to 1999 37 Section 3 - Analysis of Existing Environment 3 The Ashton Coal Project 3.0 ANALYSIS OF EXISTING ENVIRONMENT Key points • The land comprising the Ashton Coal Project consists of undulating slopes of foothills and floodplains; • Detailed flora and fauna surveys did not locate any threatened flora or fauna within the project area; • Aquatic habitat assessment of Bowmans Creek and Glennies Creek classified the streams as major fish habitat; • Groundwater flow is generally to the west towards Bowmans Creek and the Ravensworth void; 3 • PM10 data collected from the village of Camberwell is well within the 50µg/m NEPM standard; • Ambient noise levels were obtained from noise monitoring results on three separate occasions within and near Camberwell;