Diesel Spill Causing Traffic Delays on Pacific Highway

BY ISABEL EVERETT

A truck leaking fuel is causing delays on the Pacific Highway, adjacent to Grahamstown Dam at Kings Hill on the Pacific Highway. 

Just after 12pm on Monday, crews from Raymond Terrace Fire Station arrived on scene, the driver had attempted to stem the flow of fuel but was unsuccessful.

Firefighters are currently working to clean up the fuel which is on approximately 300m of roadway, and render the area safe.

No diesel has leaked into any drains or waterways.

The Rural Fire Brigade and NSW Police are also in attendance to assist and divert traffic, and are advising  motorists to exercise caution if you are driving through the area.

Chichester Dam Overflow

BY RACHEL STORER

Chichester Dam supplies water to the Lower Hunter. Image: theherald.com.au 

After a very wet weekend in the Hunter, Chichester Dam, north of Dungog has overflowed.

The spill caused minor flooding in the area with no considerable damage.

After an extremely hot, dry summer the dam saw no increase in levels for 109 days.

The first day of Autumn saw the first bump to levels and there have been consistent rises since.

Nick Kaiser, from Hunter Water, said that Chichester dam rose from 65% capacity to 100% in just three days.

"It's been absolutely pouring buckets up around the catchment, which might not be good news for picnickers, but is great news for our dam levels," he said.

"The consistent rain has boosted our storage and now our total water storage, which is Grahamstown Dam and Chichester Dam, are currently at 82 percent."

Mr Kaiser says that Chichester is designed to spill and that the rain forecasted this week shouldn't cause any risk of flooding.

"There's no risk. More of that water is going to go back down and flow into the rivers. The good news is that we'll have more water flowing into the Williams River which we can then pump into Grahamstown Dam," he said.

Compost facility near dam approved with conditions

BY GARY-JON LYSAGHT

A controversial compost plant in the Lower Hunter has been approved, as long as it abides by strict restrictions and regulations.

The Land and Environment Court approved the Gardenland composting site, which operates near Seven Mile Creek on Wednesday.

A compost plant will operate near Grahamstown Dam [Picture: Hunter Water].

Seven Mile Creek is a feeder into the Grahamstown Dam, a major source of drinking water for much of the Hunter.

Environment Protection Authority composting expert Anthony Dixon told the Court the facility would be required to adopt a higher standard than the current minimum composting guidelines.

Hunter Water manages the region's dams - including Grahamstown Dam, which provides 40 per cent of the area's water - and are pleased with the new regulations.

"Some of these [regulations] are quite arduous so there's a lot that needs to be done at this business before it is able to operate," Hunter Water spokesperson Nick Kaiser said.

"It's something that we're very pleased about here at Hunter Water because it means better protection of the Grahamstown Dam."

Mr Kaiser said Hunter Water worked closely with the EPA in developing the restrictions and will continue to do so.

"The composting operation near Grahamstown Dam will be regularly inspected by the EPA," he said

"As part of the regulation and as part of the ruling by the Land and Environment Court, they [Gardenlands] will be subject to strict supervision."

The compost facility will operate nearby Seven Mile Creek, which feeds into the Grahamstown Dam and its water quality has already been questioned before the facility.

But, Mr Kaiser said it would unreasonable to consider closing or blocking the creek.

"Closing down the creek, or trying to block the creek in any way, would not make environmental sense," he said.

He said there would be issues with "flooding upstream" as well as not enough water coming into the Dam.

"What's a much more viable solution is to better manage the catchment around the area, such as with regulations around the development of the area."