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Hart report on Fitzroy River water quality issues

The Queensland premier commissioned Professor Barry Hart to review water quality issues in the Fitzroy River after the discharge of 138 gigalitres of mine-affected floodwater from the Ensham Resources Pty Ltd coal mine located near Emerald in Central Queensland.

The terms of reference for the review were to advise the premier on:

• any short- or long-term risks to human health, aquatic ecology, agriculture and industry that could result from the mine-affected floodwaters discharged from the Ensham coal mine, and how these should be managed
• the scope of the water quality and biological monitoring program to be undertaken by the EPA to assess the potential impacts of the mine-affected floodwater discharge from Ensham coal mine
• any changes that might be made to conditions of Environmental Authorities (for mining activities) and associated statutory documents under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 in order to ensure that the impacts of discharges of mine-affected waters in Central Queensland are appropriately managed and monitored,
• any other matters that might be of relevance to this issue.

Review of the Fitzroy River Water Quality Issues (PDF, 725K)*

Government response to recommendations of the Hart report

In its response to Professor Barry Hart’s report, the Queensland Government has supported, or supported in principle, the report’s 13 recommendations.

Queensland Government response to the Hart report (PDF, 28K)*

* Requires Adobe Reader