Mayfield Mines

A Mine Subsidence and Flooding Problem in Newcastle

Mining Under Maitland Road Tighes Hill

From the Royal Commission;
 
It appears that No.2 south headings were commenced with the ulterior intention of working out a considerable area of coal owned by the company south of Tighe’s Terrace street, and probably, also, of anticipating some of the small colliery owners referred to in working the coal from under the Maitland Road in the direction of the bridge across that creek.
 
The colliery officials, on being interrogated on the point, affirmed that these bords, on reaching the western fence of the road, were stopped. Mr Inspector Dixon, however; suspected that these bords had crossed the road, and had been driven towards or under the creek, which here forms a sharp elbow, and sweeps under an escarpment of conglomerate.
 
On being called upon to do so, Mr. Mackenzie, Examiner of Coal-fields, produced a plan of older date than the one put into the hands of the Commission, in which the faces of the bords under review were shown to cross the road, and were stopped under the bed or channel of Tighe’s Creek.
Upon. this low-lying and flooded land, nearly opposite Bryant-street, and about 2 chains from the margin of the creek, a small colliery (now owned by Messrs Broughall. &Griffiths) has been sunk.

The depth of the shaft, is only 23 feet to the top of the coal-seam, and, like Ferndale, is entirely composed of fluviatile or estuarine deposits. Some bords worked from this colliery had been pushed under Tighe’s Creek towards Ferndale workings ; And one bord, shown on No. 1 plan, has reached within 10 or 11 yards of the advanced workings from the last-named colliery at the date of the inundation (18th -March, 1886).

The uncertainty that existed as to the correctness of the underground plans, and the terrible nature of the catastrophe that had occurred to the adjoining collieries, presumably acted as an incentive to the Government officials to serve notices upon Messrs. Broughall. & Griffiths to cease working.; and, although the Law Officers of the Crown, probably with reason, did not see their way clear to place an injunction on these gentlemen to cease working, the action taken has has the good effect of preventing any further work in the bords approaching Ferndale  from being prosecuted.

Maitland Road Mining Tighes Hill

Maitland Road Mining Tighes Hill

Bailers Needed to make Mine Workable before Accident

From the Royal Commission;

A few months before the accident as many as twenty-one water-hailers were required to keep the working-places and roads in a comfortable and passable condition.

Two special steam-pumps were placed at the bottom of the pumping-shaft that forced about 16,000 gallons of water per hour to the surface. These pumping-engines were supplied with steam from boilers on the surface.

 

Ferndale Colliery Tighes Hill

Ferndale Colliery Tighes Hill

 

 

Full Hydraulic Connectivity – Mayfield Mines Permanently Flooded

From the Royal Commission;
“To the south and east, and in close proximity to this shaft, three small collieries have worked the coal from under a number of building allotments, leaving no barriers.
The workings to the west of these “headings” approached the Maitland Road, and a ‘spirited rivalry or competition seems to have existed among the conterminous small collieries as to which could work the greatest area of coal from under this important thoroughfare.
No restrictions seem to have been imposed on the workers. In consequence, this road has been honeycombed with workings for a considerable distance, and is at present supported by pillars so thin as to be almost invisible.
It is alleged by the owners of Ferndale that they left a sufficient barrier of solid coal around each of the small collieries shown on plan, No. 1 Appendix, but that this barrier, as well as the top-coal, and as many of the pillars as could be got at, were removed by these small owners; and in this manner – and by reason of their own thoughtless cupidity – the twenty small collieries, or thereabout, on this ridge have been communicated with each other.
As a result of these inter-communications, when Ferndale was inundated the whole of these collieries were filled with water.”
—–
134 years later, Professor Fityus in his report to Legacy Mines confirmed that “All mine workings in the area are likely to have full hydraulic connectivity”.
So does this mean that due to poor mining practices, all mines have been connected together, left unattended since the 1800s and purposely kept quiet from land owners?……more about this later.
Maitland Road Mining Mayfield

Maitland Road Mining Mayfield

 

Royal Commission into Collieries 1886 Newcastle

Before we explain our current situation, its important to understand the historic legacy mines in our area. With the great help of the Royal Commission into Collieries document, I will be quoting word for word abstracts. Later, I will use current day reports and evidence to match with historical data.

The Royal Royal Commission into Collieries 1886 was initiated because of the Lithgow Valley and Ferndale Colliery disasters and a near disaster at Maryville Colliery in 1886. With regards to Ferndale Colliery (the major colliery in the Tighes Hill region), on the 18th March 1886 a miner drowned and “water had flooded the mining plant and works as well as adjacent small collieries and were irretrievably lost”.

Below from the report;

“At the present moment the summit and sides of this ridge present a scene of confusion, caused by innumerable pit-falls, denoting where attempts have been made to remove the small-sized pillars of coal that supported the roof.

The Maitland Road crosses the southern margin of Tighe’s Hill. Under it the coal-seam measures 16 feet in thickness, and is found under the surface at a similar depth.
The coal has been worked from under this road, but the thin pillars have not been removed, and these at present form its sole support. Towards the west (opposite Bevan’s and Spennymoor* ) the coal crops out under the creek, and has been worked to within a few feet of its tidal waters.

The pillars that maintained the integrity of the surface have subsequently been removed, and the water has obtained access to the workings, and rises and falls every tide.”

* Spennymoor is the colliery that Professor Fityus referred to in his Legacy Mines report 2020 as being the workings underneath our properties.

 

Maitland Road Mining

Maitland Road Mining

Mine Water Just Like the Zombie Shows

Have arrived to work today to find our very last workable area for our electronic workshop has mine water. We have moved our equipment so many times to find workable area and this was the last position.

Absolutely shattered as we are unable to move the equipment anywhere else in the building. We might have been able to use a small space close to the Myola Street entrance but both Hunter Water and Newcastle Council continue to ignore stormwater flooding issues that have plagued us for more than 10 years – this results in stormwater coming in off the road as well as through the brickwork as all drains are completely full.

With the mine water, its just like the zombie shows, once affected you know what is coming.
Electonic Workshop Flooding

Electonic Workshop Flooding

 

Electonic Workshop Flooding 2

Electonic Workshop Flooding

 

Electonic Workshop Start All Over Again

Electonic Workshop Flooding Start All Over Again

Mine Water Flow directly under Maitland Road Mayfield

Urgent stablization was required to secure the telegraph pole in front of our property at Maitland Road Mayfield NSW.

Mine water is flowing directly underneath the road, under the footpath, and then directly into our lower warehouse permanently flooding us.

Authorities have stated they believe its from old mine workings. Historic records confirm this – miners back in the 1880s were supposed to leave barriers of coal/soil between various mines, however, they failed to do so resulting in full connectivity of all the mines in the area. Also, mining was to have stopped before Maitland Road however records suggest that mines did go beneath the main arterial road.

Mine water and the deteriorating legacy mine network has caused damage to Maitland Road, the footpath, to the telegraph pole, and permanently flooding our building.

NSW Government, Mine Subsidence Advisory, Legacy Mines, Newcastle Council and other agencies have been made aware of the issues for over 14 years.

Even when sink holes (some 2-3 metres in diameter) open along Maitland Road it takes an incredible amount of time to get the problems solved. The last hole took more than 7 months for City of Newcastle to action the repair – letters from us to Newcastle Council including directly to the Lord Mayor and councillors, request from Mine Subsidence Advisory and request from Legacy Mines all failed for City of Newcastle to act. If was only when the local MP Tim Crakanthorp wrote to Newcastle Council that the hole was repaired.

Telegraph Pole Repair Street Level A

Telegraph Pole Repair Street Level A

 

Telegraph Pole Repair Street Level

Telegraph Pole Repair Street Level

 

Telegraph Pole Repair

Telegraph Pole Repair

 

Maitland Road Mayfield Subsidence

Subsidence issues have been reported to all authorities including Newcastle Council, Mine Subsidence, NSW Government, local MPs and councillors for well over 12 years – maybe more than 100pc of evidence sent to authorities.
Newcastle Council has written to us saying that the stormwater pipes are not causing our issues, but what has this got to do with stormwater issues? Other authorities have mentioned they are investigating (for years…) or they keep silent.
Here are today’s photos of subsidence along Maitland Road Mayfield.

 

Maitland Road Footpath Subsidence

Maitland Road Footpath Subsidence

 

Maitland Road Subsidence

Maitland Road Subsidence

How to Destroy a Business – NSW Government & City of Newcastle Council NSW

It started as “seepage” in our warehouse in 2008, which then becomes 20,000,000 litres per year. This building is permanently flooded. Water then starts spreading onto our neighbouring properties where in 2019 water starts “seeping” into our office.

After a little time, water was now running permanently through our office brick cavities, internal walls, through concrete slab and out of the wall facing Maitland Road.

Now, this building is permanently flooded. “Seepage” has starting with our neighbours. You know how this finishes…… The NSW Government and City of Newcastle have completely ignored this problem.

It is mine water that is flowing from abandoned mines (its taken us years to find this information due to the lack of support and secrecy of authorities). Mine Subsidence Advisory in their report rejected helping us.

Their inspector then said; “The seam outcrops below the subfloor likely carrying water from nearby abandoned workings below Maitland Road”

This is how NSW Government & City of Newcastle Council NSW destroy a business.

 

20 Million + Litres of Water Flow into Properties from Legacy Mines

For many years, water is running from under Maitland Road directly into our properties. Over time the problem has become worse, spreading to neighbouring properties as well as water now vertically coming out of concrete slabs, structural columns and more.

The NSW government together with the Newcastle Council are treating this as “seepage” and have informed us that it does not warrant any action by them. Internally, we have had a wall collapse, subsidence damage is throughout the building, Maitland Road has had subsidence/resurfacing, multiple sink holes in the curb at the front of the building.