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- July 2016: Toxic groundwater will be treated
- April 2016: State pledges $14 million to tackle groundwater
- April 2016: GBM Gold: Rising groundwater a government responsibility
- February 2016: Arsenic-laced water threatens waterways
COLIBAN Water and GBM Gold have reached an agreement to begin the pre-treatment of Bendigo’s toxic groundwater, a legacy from the city’s gold mining past.
The agreement, announced by the state government on Tuesday, grants Coliban Water access to GBM’s New Moon site at Eaglehawk, activating a pre-treatment plan.
The water will be pumped from the Eaglehawk site to the Bendigo Water Reclamation Plant in Epsom using existing pumps and a new pipeline. A tender process has started for the water treatment works.
The agreement is another step towards one of the ultimate goals – the installation of a pipeline and construction of a brine storage lagoon in Epsom.
The $27.4 million plan is expected to spare the Central Deborah Gold Mine from possible closure, while preventing erosion across Bendigo caused by rising water.
Victorian water minister Lisa Neville said the agreement was another significant step towards a permanent solution to Bendigo’s toxic groundwater issues.
“The Bendigo community can have confidence that the Bendigo groundwater project is on track to fix the city’s groundwater problem,” she said.
Bendigo’s groundwater has elevated levels of salinity, arsenic, heavy metals and hydrogen sulphide gas, and is the cause of the “rotten egg” smell that emanates from Bendigo Creek and other water courses.
While potentially dangerous to humans, the state government has assured residents the water is being “carefully managed” and does not pose a risk to the environment or community.
The permanent groundwater management plan would also prevent the water from flowing into other major rivers in Victoria.
In April, GBM chief executive officer John Harrison said modern mining was not the cause of the groundwater problem, meaning the company was not obliged to fund the solution.
The company was seeking government approval to acquire licences from Unity Mining. Mr Harrison said Unity Mining had made “no contribution” to the rising groundwater.
The state government has fully funded the project.