Local residents, who say areas of the State Forest have extensive arsenic contamination from historical mining activities, have expressed concern the road building will disturb sediment which is dangerous to humans and the environment.

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A 1931 article from the ‘Nambucca News’, discovered by concerned local Jodie Armytage, describes a historic mining operation west of Oyster Creek and north of Valla Beach.

The article states the potential for the mine was discovered in 1886, and that the ground was “rich in gold and arsenic”.

“A shaft was sunk to the depth of two hundred feet, levels driven, stopes opened up, thousands of tons of ore, all of which was of high assay value, blocked out and stacked,” the article states.

Fast forward to 2024, and Ms Armytage wants the following questions answered: “Where was the unsaleable arsenic deposited, and have these deposits moved over the last 130 or so years?”

“Where are the many shafts, sample holes and ore dumps associated with these?” she said.

“Also where is the naturally-occurring arsenopyrite (arsenic ore) currently in the ground?”

Ms Armytage claims these concerns have not been satisfactorily actioned by the NSW Government and regulators such as the NSW Environment Protection Authority.

As well as the threat to workers, Ms Armytage said the works have already generated significant downstream risks to residents and tourists who use the various estuaries that receive water from Little Newry State Forest, including Oyster Creek.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that contaminated water used for drinking, food preparation and irrigation of food crops poses the greatest threat to public health from arsenic.

“Long-term exposure to arsenic from drinking water and food can cause cancer and skin lesions,” its website states.

“It has also been associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

“In utero and early childhood exposure has been linked to negative impacts on cognitive development and increased deaths in young adults.”

Several environment groups and residents have written to the Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) urging work to stop.

FCNSW responded to the Nambucca Valley Conservation Association (NVCA) in detail about a range of issues it raised about proposed logging operations.

With respect to arsenic contamination, FCNSW said it considered the risks to be low but that exclusion zones would be placed around two identified sites.

In September both FCNSW and the EPA issued NOTA statements about the management of risks related to historic mine sites.

“As part of the planning for upcoming operations in Little Newry State Forest, Forestry Corporation has searched for evidence of former mines or contamination from historic operations,” an FCNSW spokesperson said.

“The native forestry regulations have strict conditions to manage soil and water during forestry operations that were developed by expert scientific panels and these will be strictly adhered to.”

A spokesperson for the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) told NOTA, “FCNSW plans these operations, including how past mine shafts or the past mine workings are avoided and protected during harvesting operations.

“The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) will closely monitor compliance with the conditions of the CIFOA and potential impacts to surrounding ecosystems, soils and water.”

By Andrew VIVIAN