As reported in The Singleton Argus on Tuesday March 17, Dr Au will be conducting a study into respiratory illnesses in people living in close proximity to mines.

He decided to undertake the study due to the high number of children that attend general practices in town presenting symptoms of asthma and other respiratory problems.

“It has been very positive,” Dr Au said of the response to his study.

“Already a lot of people have contacted me saying they would like to be involved, and I have three nurses who have indicated they would like to volunteer.”

Dr Au said he was looking for people living in the region’s villages, such as Broke, Jerrys Plains and Camberwell, who live close to mining operations to be involved, as well as people from town and all the way down the Hunter to Newcastle.

Due to the expanding mining industry in Muswellbrook, he is interested in having some volunteers from there as well.

The extent of participation would involve having lung functioning tests conducted.

Dr Au anticipates his study to run for around five years.

He believes that a person living close to mining operations will have a worse lung functioning test than someone living further from mining.

Minewatch NSW is one of the many community and environmental groups that have been calling on the State Government to conduct a health study on the cumulative effects of mining operations in town.

President of Minewatch NSW, Wendy Bowman, said she applauded Dr Au for deciding to conduct the study and said her organisation would help him in whatever way it could.

Having spoken to Dr Au on Wednesday, she was not surprised to hear he had received such a high level of interest from the public.

“The number of people he has had contacting him looking to volunteer shows that this is something that people are worried about,” Mrs Bowman said.

“People in the Upper Hunter are suffering from asthma, sinusitis and other respiratory problems, and skin allergies.

“We want to know what is in the atmosphere and whether it is the cause of health problems.”

People interested in assisting Dr Au with his study can contact him via email at pau@bigpond.net.au.

Camberwe ll awaits start of impact study

WHILE Dr Au busily prepares to start his health study, there is still no word on when the mining impact study for the village of Camberwell will commence.

The Department of Planning announced that the study would be completed while simultaneously announcing that the Glennies Creek open cut mine had been approved.

In the statement, the Department expected the study to be completed by mid-year, however, that timeframe seems unlikely given that the study has yet to commence.

Enquiries by The Singleton Argus to the office of the Minister for Planning, Kristina Keneally, about the starting date for the study have gone unanswered.

Minewatch NSW president and Camberwell president, Wendy Bowman, said she would like to see the study underway as soon as possible, says residents “have been patient long enough.”

Under the study’s terms of reference, the experts conducting it are required to consider and advise on noise, dust and the potential contamination of drinking water in Camberwell village and its surrounds due to mining activities.

Consideration will be given on measures to minimise and mitigate these impacts, and issues that should be considered during the assessment of future mining proposals.