Clarence Valley Catchment under threat

There are currently 44 approved exploration licenses in the Clarence catchment with prospectors seeking minerals including gold, copper, antimony and cobalt. The recent increase in mining exploration and interest has communities across the catchment concerned.

Hundreds gathered in July 2025 at a series of forums in Grafton and the small towns of Drake, Corrigo and Copmanhurst organised by community group Clarence Catchment Alliance (CCA).

Members of the group visited the NSW parliament in August 2025 to argue the case for excluding the catchment from the NSW Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy. The catchment provides the area's drinking water and is classed as a flood zone. CCA founder Shae Fleming said, "We just think it's obvious that mining in drinking water catchments and flood zones is a no go."