BHP Billiton is developing the new Dendrobium mine at Mt Kembla and is planning to extend the Appin mine.

The Northern Illawarra Aboriginal Collective (NIAC) and the Illawarra Escarpment Coalition have called for independent studies on the project, according to the Illawarra Mercury.

The NIAC claimed mine plans for Dendrobium show longwall panels 1, 2 and 3 to be close to the edge of the Cordeaux and Avon dams.

The group said the longwalls went underneath Cordeaux dam in some places and that the mining could cause cracks in the river and the loss of drinking water for millions of people.

BHP Billiton sustainable development general manager Wendy Tyrrell said longwall mining was not planned to go under dams, and that a minimum 150m buffer zone had been designed between the mining areas and Cordeaux dam.

Tyrrell said the company had followed a very rigorous approval process that had taken five years to complete. During this time, BHP Billiton undertook extensive consultation with community, environmental and four Aboriginal groups.

“We are confident we can manage the issues without unacceptable risk to drinking water,” she said.

“And, I would note, it is not in the Government’s or our best interests to have an impact on the drinking water in the region.”

BHP Billiton is awaiting final approvals from the State Government before longwall mining can begin, including from the NSW Dams Safety Committee – a group established by the Government that regulates mining around dams.