NSW Government Archives - Page 2 of 3

Mine Subsidence Damage Mayfield Properties

July 19, 2023

We have extensive mine subsidence damage throughout our properties.

When working with Subsidence Advisory and other agencies, we have been told that there are no mines beneath us, then we have mines beneath us, then the subsidence damage is to be claimed through Legacy Mines, then told that Legacy Mines is not the correct department, and so on.

In 2019 during a Subsidence Advisory visit, inspectors were shown a number of subsidence issues that included road subsidence, kerb subsidence, building subsidence, slab subsidence as well as the water that was flowing from under Maitland Road. Through internal Subsidence Advisory documents, they wrote “no damage to the buildings consistent with mine subsidence was observed or reported.”. This is completely wrong.

Recently, we have been advised by engineers that Subsidence Advisory should have been fixing the repair work since the first signs of mine subsidence occurred, as early back as 2010.

We are still waiting to have meeting with Subsidence Advisory.

38 Maitland Road Mine Subsidence Damage 01

38 Maitland Road Mine Subsidence Damage 02

38 Maitland Road Subsidence Damage Repair – 01

38 Maitland Road Subsidence Damage Repair – 02

38 Maitland Road Subsidence Damage Repair – 03

38 Maitland Road Subsidence Damage Repair – 04

38 Maitland Road Subsidence Damage Repair – 05

Maitland Road Mine Subsidence Damage 04

Legacy Mine Maps in NSW are Top Secret

July 19, 2023

For the last 4 months we have been trying to gain access current legacy mine maps that are beneath our property and those under the footpath/Maitland Road. We want to use these maps to better explain the subsidence damage, water flows and to work on solutions.

Subsidence Advisory said they were unable to give us the maps and directed us to the Planning Portal;
https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/spatialviewer/

You can type in your address and check information such as whether you are in a mining district or if your property has been undermined.

Subsidence Advisory knows that this link does not help us, as the legacy mine maps are not public.

After further emails, we were directed to another government department by Subsidence Advisory as below;
“The NSW Resources Regulator within the Department of Regional NSW is the official holder of mine survey plans. Requests to access mine plans can be lodged directly with the NSW Resources Regulator, information is available at http://resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au/…/mine-survey-plans”

NSW Resources Regulator needs a referral from Subsidence Advisory before the application can be sent, then their office checked whether it can be approved, later the request goes to a different department which will approve what part of the mine they will share with us (after signing a non-disclosure agreement).

After sending the request, we waited 7 weeks and recently received a rejection letter saying our claim for the legacy mine maps were rejected.

Subsidence Advisory NSW Still Not Willing to Meet With Us – 4 Months and waiting….

July 19, 2023

Its now been nearly 4 months since the request to Subsidence Advisory NSW to meet with us.

We have requested;

– information about the mines beneath our properties and on Maitland Road
Subsidence Advisory NSW outcome = told us to contact NSW Resource Regulator to request the information

– information on the work they have done together with other government agencies in reference to our properties
Subsidence Advisory NSW outcome = continue to keep silent

– request to meet with senior Subsidence Advisory manager
Subsidence Advisory NSW outcome = after many months of chasing, their last response is “We acknowledge your request for a meeting on site however we are unable to facilitate a meeting at this stage of the claim”

We are really frustrated by Subsidence Advisory’s response and lack of support. Our various problems have existed for over 14 years and, as time passes, the problems have become significantly worse. Subsidence Authority has visited us in 2012, 2015 and 2019, however only the 2019 is registered in Subsidence Advisory internal notes.

Below is part of a long email we have sent to Subsidence Advisory NSW;

During your on-site visits, I was told that mine subsidence is not covered on our properties and I should look for help through Legacy Mines. Because of this, we have constantly been handling/paying for various repairs to the buildings. However recently, I have been advised that Subsidence Authority should have been handling the subsidence damage – it’s a another reason why I have asked to meet with a senior manager to understand clearly about our situation.

Over these last months, I have asked support from Subsidence Advisory to meet with me, and, to help provide information whether other government agencies have contacted with you to help with our situation, and/or, to solve their own subsidence damage. For both requests, you have ignored to answer me – so again I am asking if there is a reason why you do not want to help and reply to these requests.

Subsidence Advisory is fully away of our situation as you have personally inspected our serious problems 3 times. Initially, our 38 Maitland Road Mayfield workshop and warehouse was damaged, and is now completely unusable – the integrity of the building is in question. Subsidence damage is found across 42 and 44 Maitland Road and we are in such a damaged position in our business, that most of our staff have resigned. Our sales/retail business is almost completely destroyed and by continually delaying us, avoiding to answer our questions, or sending us to websites/departments that you know cannot help us, is compounding further losses on our side.

Please therefore write to us and let me know clearly about Subsidence Authority’s position on our situation, whether government agencies have been in touch to work with you on our situation, and whether we can meet together with senior manager to discuss our problems.

I have also followed your guidance and filled in the Subsidence Claim form. Please find enclosed photos of subsidence evidence at 38 Maitland Road that directly correlates to photos taken by Subsidence Authority in 2019, as well as evidence at 42 and 44 Maitland Road. We have more information and should be able to recheck with builders/repairers for repairs over these years. Since subsidence events are constant, and one team members is solely focused on handling daily repairs due to the mine problems.

———–

Subsidence Advisory NSW said they have no records of any mine subsidence claims or issues with our properties. They asked us to relodge the claims online, where we found their website lodgement faulty, so then we have manually lodged new subsidence claims. During their visit in 2019, Subsidence Advisory officers in their internal office documents said “no damage to the buildings consistent with mine subsidence was observed or reported.”

Online Subsidence Advisory Lodgement Errors

Mine Subsidence Damage 2019 Sent to Mine Subsidence Authority 02

Tarin Street Mine is the Water Source?

May 18, 2023

We take up the story in January 2015 where water is streaming inside our warehouse from under Maitland Road, Mayfield. At this time we don’t fully understand where the water is coming from but the intensity has increased and flowing from a number of locations out of the soil wall. One submersible pump is not enough to remove the water, so we installed 2 pumps. In this video water is not only coming from multiple locations to the left, but also from the centre of the soil wall, and, from the right of the soil wall. We contact Newcastle Council, and chase very hard for support. At the end of 8 weeks chasing…”XXX is the first point of contact, but he is on holidays”.

Many months later, and having no clear response from Newcastle Council, we ask help from both the Mayfield Business Association and lobby Councillor Tierney to investigate the situation. Newcastle Council’s ultimate findings are;

• An old 1960’s telegraph pole is the cause of the sinkhole in front on the property along Maitland Road. This was also the cause of the sinkhole in 2012 (according to Newcastle Council), and Newcastle Council will again say that this telegraph pole is the cause of another hole in 2019 and 2020. More about the moving telegraph pole later.

• That possibly underground mine workings in Tarin Street might be the cause.

• The case was then closed by Newcastle Council.

And from freedom of information records, Newcastle Council notes are as follows;

I advise that a review of Council records reveal no underground drainage assets are located across the frontage of your property and there are no council assets in the vicinity of the property that would result in water infiltration into the building.

In addition I can confirm that we are drainage pits across the road, however they do not run towards the property, furthermore there is a drainage easement located at 44 Maitland road which is a significant distance away from the property and is down slope from the property.

As such the seepage flows within your property are possibly emanating from old mine workings or an underground spring, and is not associated with the underground pipe drainage system.

Green dye that was placed in the stormwater network across the road found its way into our property.

Tarin Street Mine Water Source ?

Mine Water Undermining Warehouse

May 12, 2023

Mine water from abandoned mines is destroying our buildings.

Mine water is flowing permanently from abandoned mine workings that are located under the footpath and Maitland Road. The mine water runs into catchment pits we have created, and then this water is pumped into the drains. The mine water you see in this video is water we cannot catch and is sitting under the concrete slab and “seeping” out of the expansion joints.

We have 8 locations the mine water is running into our warehouse property.

Mining Techniques in the 1800s

May 4, 2023

Below is an extract from the Royal Commission in 1886 where the commissioners chatted with the manager of Ferndale Colliery;

65. You have worked the coal under the Maitland Road, I believe? Yes.
66.. What depth is the coal from the surface under that road? It is about 1.5 feet from the surface down to the roof of the coal.
67. Of what rock is the roof composed ? Soft past.
68. And to the south -west of the Maitland Road, what is the depth of the coal ? It crops out just beyond the Maitland Road.
69. In that swampy hollow formed by the elbow of. Tighe’s Creek, is the coal found? Yes, it is found in the swampy hollow at Tighe’s Cheek.
70. Then, between the Ferndale workings the outcrops to the south-vest of the Maitland Road, has the coal been worked by other parties ? It was last worked by Mr Bevan, and by Chas. Austin, and several small owners.
71. Are the workings of these small collieries connected with those of Ferndale? Yes.
72. Were any barriers left between them ? I left a barrier of coal between Tighe’s Hill and Peppertown.
73. But in these little collieries that you have spoken of, do you know what Was the nature of the surface deposits above the coal -seam ? It was clay and conglomerate, and in the crop it would be mostly composed of this rotten post, with a body of clay on the top of it.
74. Do you know whether these surface deposits gave these owners any trouble? I do not think so.
75. Was the surface of the crop-workings covered by the tide in that position ? No.
76. Have the pillars in these collieries been taken out? Yes we took out all the pillars in Peppertown.
77. But I am now speaking of these little collieries? ‐ Yes the pillars were taken out.
78. Did they take them out to the very crop? Yes, they took all they could.
79. Then these collieries being connected with Ferndale, will now be drowned out? ‐ Yes; every one of them.
86. On looking at your tracing of the plan, the coal workings are represented to terminate abruptly and follow a curved line,‐does this curved line represent the position of the outcrop?‐ Yes.
87. This is where the coal has become lost in the level deposits? Yes.
91. And did the surface come down and cut out the conglomerate? Yes.
92. Then in that case what was in front of the coal seam? Sand and clay.
96. Towards the crop, did the conglomerate give place to sand suddenly or gradually? Sometimes there would be a portion of post in it. Sometimes it would be 6 or 7 inches, and in others as high as a foot, and cut out the conglomerate.
97. When you struck the surface deposits to the north‐west and north, did these deposits give you any trouble? Only in one portion of the mine.
98/99. Have you taken out the whole of the pillars in this section? …. I mean that section to the west? We have taken out all the pillars to the west of Waratah Railway, excepting under the Maitland Road.
100. Did you experience any difficulty from the surface in doing so? No.
101. What measures did you take to prevent it filling up the workings? We took no measures at all. We took the pillars out and let it fall.
102. Was there any surface‐water? None whatever.
103. Contiguous to the shaft I believe you experienced some difficulty from “cave‐in” Did it give you some trouble? Yes.
104. Would you tell us about it? In the flat of Tighe’s Hill, in four different places, the roof fell in, and worked out to the crop, so that there was no covering to support the crop, and we had to construct a dam to keep the water back.
105. Did any water come in along with the sand? Yes; a considerable quantity came in, but we made these dams, and kept it back.
106. I understand this part of the workings is above tidal influence? Yes; But there is a great body of water in the sand, down about 15 feet.
119. Had you any considerable growth in water from the Ferndale workings? Yes.
120. Where did the water come from? From a flat in the old workings to the west of Ferndale shaft.
121. How much water did you get? We were pumping in No8 16,000 gals. an hour.
161, And you have told us that you pumped 16,000 gallons an hour from that pit ‐ was the water fresh or salt? It was salt water.
162. Where did it come from? Principally from the hard roof of conglomerate.

Ferndale Colliery

Mine Water from Abandoned Mine Workings

May 4, 2023

Permanently flowing from under Maitland Road Mayfield we have mine water coming from abandoned mine workings.

Mine Subsidence Authority suggests the water is coming from old mine workings that were abandoned in the 1800s. Over the last years, the mine water in these abandoned mines has spread from one building, to now affecting all 3 buildings. It has also spread to our neighbours properties as well as Myola Street and Litchfield Park.

abandoned mine water

mine water 38 Maitland Road Mayfield warehouse

mine water 38 Maitland Road Mayfield Carpark

mine water 38 Maitland Road Mayfield warehouse wall

mine water 38 Maitland Road Mayfield warehouse pillar

mine water 38 Maitland Road Mayfield containers

mine water 44 Maitland Road Mayfield workshop

Meeting Room Water A

mine water 38 Maitland Road Mayfield warehouse entrance

Mining Under Maitland Road Tighes Hill

May 3, 2023

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

Bailers Needed to make Mine Workable before Accident

May 3, 2023

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

Full Hydraulic Connectivity – Mayfield Mines Permanently Flooded

May 3, 2023

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.”

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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