00:00This farm, neighbouring South 32's Major Worsley Bauxite Mine, is running out of water.
00:09The owner blames a nearby borefield, extracting hundreds of thousands of litres of groundwater
00:14a day for the mine site.
00:15It should be restricted what they can take, what time of year they can take, so this place
00:20doesn't dry up.
00:21Mr Reynolds claims his surface water stream has gone dry for several years.
00:26Meanwhile, his remaining groundwater may soon be undrinkable because of rising salinity
00:30levels.
00:31But if you haven't got enough water to mine that size area, you shouldn't be allowed to
00:36mine that size area.
00:37WA's Department of Water and Environmental Regulation is investigating the situation as
00:42a potential breach of conditions placed on South 32's latest expansion.
00:46In response to questions, South 32 issued a brief statement saying that it is aware of
00:51the matters that have been raised, adding that it manages and monitors groundwater usage, quality,
00:57levels and its response in accordance with its approved water management plan.
01:02South 32's Worsley Mine is expanding and as part of that it's been approved to increase
01:07its use of groundwater from 500 million litres a year to 900 million litres of water a year,
01:13mostly for dust suppression.
01:15Neighbouring landowners are worried that their water issues are going to get worse as a result.
01:20On other neighbouring farms a very different water issue has emerged – rising water levels.
01:25This stream appeared out of low-lying forest just a few years ago.
01:29The property owner suspects it's a consequence of strip mining and forest clearing in the hills
01:34above.
01:35Environmental activists have been working to raise farmers' water concerns with the regulator.
01:39In 20, 30, 40 years the wall will run out and the question is what are we going to
01:46have in terms of farmland?
01:48The regulator says its investigations are complex and will take several more months, leaving
01:53South 32's next door neighbours with few clear answers to their water issues.
01:57residences of knowledge under the virtue of the
02:15players.
02:16Whether you like the Crafts or the Tr Key or the Trice, it's fine.
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