The warning that the lights could go out was perhaps the most telling submission to yesterday’s Planning Assessment Commission public hearing into Centennial Coal’s bid for an extension of Springvale.

The day long hearing was a case of ideology versus commercial reality in a high stakes game where the winner takes all.

The Millennium Room at the Workmens Club was packed to capacity by industry representatives, miners and by opposing interests from the environmental movement.

The environmentalists were buoyed in their submissions by the knowledge that they had managed to scuttle the Coalpac open cut project at Cullen Bullen last year.

But perhaps the most significant evidence to the morning session of the hearing came from EnergyAustralia’s representative Peter Gray.

Mr Gray said that Springvale was the principal supplier of coal to Mr Piper power station and any disruption to supply would have serious implications for the power station that supplies more than 15 per cent of the state’s electricity requirements.

He said that EnergyAustralia also owns and operates three major water storages — Lake Lyell, Lake Wallace and Thompsons Creek. Mr Gray said that water quality was very important for electricity generation.

Referring to concerns expressed by lobbyists regarding the quality of water discharged from Angus Place he said that water quality in the three storages was constantly being tested.

He agreed that any mining approvals must maintain conditions regarding water quality.

“We intend to work with Springvale to ensure water management is adequate,” Mr Gray said.

“EnergyAustralia supports this application to ensure continuity of supply to Mt Piper and its ongoing operation.”

Water quality and a perceived threat to Sydney’s water supply was a common theme for opponents of the Springvale application.

One speaker from the Nature Conservation Council claimed salinity in Lake Burragorang had risen in recent times by five per cent.

She said that any approval for Springvale should include a condition for installation of a reverse osmosis plant to remove heavy metals.

Former long-term Lithgow mayor Neville Castle, representing the Association of Mining Related Councils, said the water quality issue was being seriously over stated by opponents of the mine extension.

He said there were similarities between the Springvale water and that from Clarence Colliery that provided Lithgow’s drinking water.

Regular testing (of the Clarence water) by authorities including the health department had confirmed its quality.

Mr Castle said that in fact during the development of the Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort the Springvale Colliery had been asked by Emirates to divert water into the valley to maintain a flow in the stream through the resort property.