Allegations against Cadia and Newcrest heard at NSW Government inquiry

It comes just days after Newcrest-owned gold producer pleaded guilty in court to breaching air pollution regulations set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Allegations home owners were lied to by senior executives about dust concerns, and suggestions data is being intentionally manipulated to protect the company, were also levelled during the latest public forum.

"I see substantial concern there," Associate Professor of Environmental Science Doctor Ian Wright said of the disputed claim dust from the mine is responsible for contamination across the region.

Cadia's interim CEO Sherry Duhe apologised for some of the company's behaviour, but maintained her belief there is no evidence linking the mine to any unwanted environmental outcomes.

Scientific models suggesting the Central West could become dryer due to climate change were also flagged. High water requirements for dust suppression raised doubts about the viability of 17 planned projects in the region, including the McPhillamys gold mine.

The NSW Government inquiry into 'current and potential impacts of gold, silver, lead and zinc mining on human health, land, air and water quality' held its first hearing on September 18 at NSW Parliament House in Sydney.

Focusing almost exclusively on Cadia and the Central West, more than a dozen witnesses testified under oath. These included environmental experts, interim Cadia CEO Sherry Duhe, Cadia general manager Mick Dewar, EPA CEO Tony Chappel, and representatives for multiple community groups.

The inquiry heard about 12 tonnes of dust is collected daily from the V8 vent filter near Orange. Blood and hair tests of residents living nearby - including a four-year-old - have found increased presence of heavy metals, while one water tank exceeded limits by more than 14000 per cent.

"An assessment ... basically [found] we have double the lung disease incidents in the Blayney shire and south Orange than north Orange and New South Wales," Frances Retallak of the Cadia Community Sustainability Network said.

"We've repeatedly as a community talked about, 'Do we have a cancer cluster?' We've been unable to get NSW Health to engage in looking at anything like that.

"Anecdotally, [it's] 'There's another brain tumour' ... 'Oh, there's another leukemia'. I shouldn't know this many people who have those things."

She said senior Cadia executives had lied to residents for years about white plumes forming above their homes, suggesting these were steam and not dust.

Ms Retallak said: "Reports appear to contradict Newcrest's media release of 19 July 2023: 'Cadia not linked to lead in district water tanks.'"

She also said the group believed a Cadia-funded study - dubbed the Todoroski report - "worked backwards" to achieve compliance findings.

Similar concerns were raised about the approval process for McPhillamys gold mine.

"Mainly, the reports that appear in an environmental impact assessment are advocacy documents," Beverly Smiles of the Inland Rivers Network said.

"I've had a long-term experience with the mining industry and consultants that work for the industry, and people that haven't agreed with the way that they're being encouraged to doctor their reports don't get employed by the industry anymore. They get blacklisted."

Interim Cadia Sherry Duhe CEO appologised for some of the company's behavior. She denied the mine is responsible for any negative environmental outcomes.

"We understand that to continue operating Cadia successfully we have to be good neighbours," she said.

"We haven't always gotten things right. Recently we've seen a breakdown in our relationships with some of our neighbours and we know they have concerns. We could have listened more and communicated better, and for this we are sorry.

"When the community raises an issue, they deserve for it to be taken seriously. Dust emissions from our tailings storage or our ventilation rises are a concern for the community, and we hear that."

The company - which made a $778 million profit last year - disputed a suggestion it had been slow to act because paying $15,000 fines to the EPA was cheaper and easier than installing equipment required to keep the community safe.

"We may as well not have an EPA ... There is no point in fining them $15,000," Ms Retallak said.

"We might as well just all give up and accept Armageddon; it's going to come because we will have no rivers in New South Wales.

"Every tailings dam, every mine in our shire is already polluting the river and we're standing back and talking about another however ... the whole thing is such a mess and the EPA doesn't have to the tools to change it."

Government modelling on the impact of a drying Central West due to climate change was also flagged during the hearing.

"The fact that there are 17 [new projects] in the pipeline is really quite concerning," Ms Smilies said.

"The problem with drought in the Central West and Far West is these minerals mines will not have the water to manage their dust. It's the dust pollution into our waterways, into people's water tanks, into the soil and into the landscape that is the real key management problem.

"It's very problematic in a drying climate, in these regions, to have these quite large new projects being approved."

Dan Sutton of the Belubula Headwaters Protection Group said: "As it stands, we don't think [McPhillamys gold mine near Blayney] should go ahead as it is.

"There are far too many flaws in the desktop modelling that's taken place. There are too many unknowns, too many assumptions that A, B and C will work perfectly 24/7, and therefore there'll be no issues."

EPA CEO Tony Chappel defended the agency's work to date. He said new regulations on mining may be introduced.

The NSW Government inquiry will continue in Orange on Tuesday from the Coral Sea Room at Orange Ex-Services Club from 8am.

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