PUBLIC commitments by Australian mining giant, BHP, that it would reduce its exploration area in the NSW Liverpool Plains have now be written into law, a parliamentary hearing in Canberra was told last week.
BHP appeared before a Senate inquiry into food production and told of "significant commitments" made by the company to declare two thirds of its original exploration area a "no go zone".
The commitment comes amidst a very public David and Goliath battle between farmers and the mining companies which have their sights set on some of the most fertile farmland in Australia to dig for rich black coal.
The inquiry is looking at what protection might be needed to secure prime agricultural land for the production of food in the face of looming food security issues and an explosion in the world's population in the next 30-50 years.
BHP said the NSW Government legislated a new reduced mining exploration area for that region three weeks ago and amended the special conditions of its licence.
The changes effectively "set in stone" a promise by BHP that it will not mine the contentious Caroona flood plains, although will continue exploration studies of elevated ridge areas in that region.
BHP chief development officer of energy coal, Martin Grant, told the hearing that BHP understood how important agriculture was to the Liverpool Plains and its local communities.
"We know many families have been farming in this area for generations and there is a close affinity with the land.
"Equally we understand the importance of food production to all Australians.
"One thing we have learnt over the last 120 years is that the onus is on us to demonstrate that environmental and other community issues can be appropriately managed.
"Environmental and social impact assessments for a critical part of our decision on whether we move from exploration to mine development."
Mr Grant said BHP was still assessing whether to move ahead with the Caroona mine project and that they were at least three years away from submitting a mine plan for the region to the NSW Government.
He said the company made a recent commitment to partially fund an independent water study for the area, and as a result will not submit any development applications until that study has been completed.
Mr Grant explained that already the company has determined long wall mining under the flood plains would result in an "unacceptable impact" on agricultural practices in the area.
"We recognise that preservation of the agricultural productivity of the area will be dependent on protecting the deep groundwater aquifers of the region."
He said changes to their exploration agreement at Caroona prevents BHP from mining under deep alluvial irrigation aquifers, long wall mining under the floodplain, and open cut mining on the floodplain.
"The bottom line of all of this is that the agricultural use of the flood plains will remain as it is."
BHP Caroona Coal Project general manager, Stephen David, said the company was still unsure whether the remaining one third of its existing exploration areas would in fact be suitable for mining and if it would indeed coexist with agriculture in the area.
He said there was not enough data to say there would be no impact from mining, and the company would wait until all studies had been completed before progressing an application to develop a mine.
Mr David said he believes the safeguards to protect agriculture were already in place and at work in this particular situation.
"The journey we've been on demonstrates that process is working," Mr David said.
"It is understandable there are some in the community that do not want mining to go ahead. But many do.
"We have 71 access agreements in place with farmers in the Caroona region. 12 of those were reached through arbitration and 59 through negotiations directly with the landholders.
"There are many that see the opportunities from exploration and mining in the area."
A small group of farmers made the trip from the Liverpool Plains to hear the evidence from BHP.
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