Project To Boost Health Of Creeks

Newcastle Herald

Friday June 9, 2006

By FRANCES THOMPSON Upper Hunter Reporter

A THREE-year plan has been launched to halt environmental damage to two significant waterways near Singleton.

The work on Glennies and Main creeks will involve revegetation, stock-proof fencing and weed and erosion control.

It covers about five kilometres of creek frontage south of the Mount Owen mine on land owned by Xstrata Coal and aims to arrest damage in the wider Glennies Creek catchment.

Xstrata will manage the project and Conservation Volunteers Australia, a non-profit organisation that works on environmental repair projects throughout the Hunter, will do the work.

The Glennies Creek catchment area covers more than 51,000 hectares and has its headwaters in the Mount Royal Range.

It was identified in a 2004 Hunter and Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority study as having unstable creek channels, mass movement of soil, loss of biodiversity and native vegetation and high water and soil salinity.

Main Creek emerged as an important factor in plans to extend the Mount Owen mine.

The creek was to take the flow from Bettys Creek, which was to be permanently diverted to allow the extension to proceed.

Conservation group regional manager Leonie Koshoorn said a team of about 10 volunteers would work on the project. Work is expected to start in August.