About RSWUA

Dedicated to preservation of the spring waters that are  the lifeblood of the Ilford/Running Stream area.
Running Stream Water Users Association was formed in 1991 to oppose a proposed longwall coal mine under Mt Vincent. Our concern is to preserve the water resources of the area encompassing the Ilford, Mt Vincent, Razorback, Cherry Tree Hill and Running Stream localities.
We use the name “Running Stream” because of its connotation of continuity of water. It is also the name of the stream that flows out of Mt Vincent/Cherry Tree Hill ending up in the Turon River. Since European settlement it has only stopped running on a few occasions.
The Running Stream/Mt Vincent/Cherry Tree Hill/Ilford area has a complex hydrogeology with numerous aquifers in both the basalt and fractured sandstone layers. The agricultural industry here is totally dependent on the springs and bores provided by these aquifers as surface water storages are generally ineffective in the basalt soil.
The area is also a watershed, being the source of numerous creeks, some of which flow east into the Sydney Basin (Oakey and Brogan Creeks), while most flow west into the Macquarie River in the Murray-Darling Basin (the Running Stream and Jack Halls, Cunningham, and Carwell Creeks).
Before any exploratory drilling or mining is contemplated there needs to be a thorough hydrological study done of the area. Mining below aquifers such as exist at Mount Vincent and Cherry Tree Hill will disturb the geological strata and the result could be like pulling out the bath plug - the water supply is drained and the springs and bores dry up.
The Association believes that even exploratory drilling can have the above effect. This belief is based on experience - some years ago exploratory drilling resulted in a spring fed dam drying up.
Water is life. Our springs are an ongoing, precious resource for generations to come. They must not be destroyed for a one off short-term gain. The Association’s position therefore is that before any exploratory drilling a thorough hydrological study and proper risk assessment must be done. We want a 100% guarantee that the water resource of the area will not be depleted, lost or contaminated.