Solving Mine Water Flooding in Mayfield Not in the Public Interest – Minister Courtney Houssos

According to the Minister Courtney Houssos (Minster for Nature Resources), the mine water flooding in Mayfield (and other suburbs) “does not affect public health or safety, nor does it affect the local environment“.

As per NSW Government goals, the primary objectives of the Legacy Mines Program are to:

• reduce or eliminate risks to public health and safety;
• reduce any impacts to the environment;
• stabilise and prevent further degradation of legacy mine sites; and
• remove or contain contamination at its source and prevent it from spreading.

The secondary objectives are;

• detailed site assessments and preparation of remediation action plans
• engineering design work
• physical safety works (for example, fencing, grating or filling shafts)
• erosion and sediment control works
• management of acid mine drainage and contamination
• stabilisation and revegetation of sites
• monitoring and review remediation works

In 2020, a Legacy Mines report on “Groundwater Conditions at 38 Maitland Road Mayfield” exposed a network of abandoned mine working in Mayfield, which is causing subsidence damage to properties and government assets. That water from broken Hunter Water pipes are filling an already flooded mine system, which is then causing in the community including our properties. This mine water flooding is evident throughout Mayfield. During this Legacy Mine investigation, Subsidence Authority NSW withheld geotechnical information even though it had been asked many times by various government departments.  Whilst the Legacy Mines showed evidence that the problems were affecting the entire community, it was ignored.

Fast forward to 2025.

The problem of mine water flooding in abandoned mine workings cannot be hidden any longer. Neighbouring properties are now also pumping mine water out of their flooded properties, the footpath and roads are continuously subsiding and Litchfield Park is permanently flooded.

If the problem is widening, affecting multiple properties, causing damage to government assets, and spreading….how is this not in the public interest?