NSW couple say lives ruined by South32 mining project next door to their home

An Australian couple who have spent more than two decades living in their four-bedroom rural NSW home have had their lives “ruined” by the neighbours who moved in next door.

Annette and Shane Morgan moved to the serene village of Menangle in Sydney’s south west, 23 years ago after purchasing a quarter acre (1011sq m) block.

The married couple poured their heart and money into building their “forever house” by transforming a two-bedroom cottage into a four-bedroom family home where they raised their children.

But since a mining company received approval to conduct their business in the adjacent block, the couple say their once tranquil lifestyle has taken a turn for the worse.

“Shane and I spend hours in tears because we just don’t know what’s going to happen, and we’ve put so much effort into it and they just don’t care,” Ms Morgan told A Current Affair.

In April last year, the NSW government approved the Appin Mine Ventilation and Access Project proposed by mining company South32 which will help ventilate an existing mine.

Now construction is currently underway to build mine ventilation and access facilities near the intersection of Finns and Menangle Road.

A car park, bathhouse, water treatment plant, storage facilities, heliport and internal roadways will also be built under the proposal.

In a flyer for the project, South32 say surface construction activities will occur on a Monday to Saturday basis, shaft sinking and construction will only occur during the day for initial stages and controlled blasting will only happen once every 24 hours.

A construction noise management plan and air quality monitors are also in place to measure compliance with EPA standards.

However, despite the mining company’s protocols, the Morgans claim South 32’s development is heavily impacting their lives.

The “plumes of dust” coming from next door settles on their roof, before making its way into their tank water.

As it’s their only water supply, Ms Morgan said the contamination means they can no longer drink their tank water.

“We’ve now switched to bottled water only,” she said. “We wash in the dust.”

The couple also have to put up with large trucks thundering past their property, stale air and ongoing noise, forcing them to keep their windows closed.

“So the (air quality) levels are just one below the approved level,” Ms Morgan claims.

As for the sound of running motors, Mr Morgan said: “They’re 11,000 (horsepower).”

“(The sound will go) all night long, twentyfour-seven, 365 days of the year.”

Despite the couple’s pleas for help, the only person on their side is local councillor Judy Hannan who feels very sympathetic towards the pair.

“These people have lived here for a long time and all of a sudden they’ve been invaded by dust and their view is gone,” she told the program.

The Morgans feel they can’t even sell their house because no one will want to buy it.

Meanwhile, South 32 said in a statement that nearby residents were approached prior to the approval so they could understand the dynamics of the project and provide adequate feedback.

“The mine ventilation infrastructure is critical for continued safe underground operations in an approved area of our Appin Mine, supporting significant ongoing employment and investment for local communities,” a spokesperson told news.com.au.

“Prior to receiving government approval for the project, we undertook significant engagement with local residents over a number of years to outline details of the project, including with Mr Shane Morgan and Mrs Annette Morgan, and listened to their feedback.”

South 32 said changes were made to the project design in response, and that Mr and Mrs Morgan made no formal objection during the approval process.

“We have met with them to discuss the project on a number of occasions from 2020 and have maintained contact with Mr and Mrs Morgan since the start of construction,” the spokesperson said.

“We operate within strict noise and dust regulations outlined by the New South Wales government as part of the project approval. To date, there have been no breaches of regulations at the site relating to noise or dust.

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“We continually monitor our performance against the regulations and have ongoing communication with residents in the area.”

As the project is operating under the NSW government’s strict environmental approval conditions, Mr and Mrs Morgan’s property does not meet the criteria for acquisition.

In the meantime, the Morgans have made clear they are open to working with the mining company to come up with a solution.

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