You’ve all no doubt heard by now about Camp Gully Creek in the Royal National Park being choked with thick black coal sludge, released from the Metropolitan Mine near Helensburgh. Thankfully the NSW Environment Minister seems royally pissed off and says he will throw the book at the mine. Here’s hoping.

We’ve compiled a trip down memory lane of coal mine pollution events in the waterways of the Illawarra over the last 6 years or so:

August 2022 Camp Gully Creek — Peabody Metropolitan Mine

February 2022 Bellambi Creek — Wollongong Coal Russell Vale Colliery

https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/7638501/epa-investigates-polluted-illawarra-waterways-after-storm/

Bellambi Gully Creek has been polluted by this mine before — in fact, it was a condition of approval for the re-opening of the mine that works be completed to prevent pollution of Bellambi Gully Creek. pic.twitter.com/Ww66HeWn9r

— Protect Our Water Alliance (@Protect__Water) February 26, 2022

2020 Brandy and Water Creek — South32 Dendrobium Mine

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-01/mine-fined-for-dumping-coal-sludge-into-mount-kembla-creek/100045216

2016 Bellambi Creek — Wollongong Coal Russell Vale Colliery

https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/3961101/black-creek-video-takes-off-stirs-epa/

https://www.facebook.com/IllawarraResidentsforResponsibleMining/videos/

https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/news/media-releases/2017/epamedia17090601