Appendix C - Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment - Peabody Energy

Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment
North Wambo Underground Mine Modification
the resultant floodplain occurring from the meeting of these two creeks, is the dominant landform in the
eastern part of the project area.
The project area was divided into four distinct landform areas: Stony Creek and its associated floodplain,
creek banks, gently sloping toe slopes and moderately sloping foot slopes with a low lying hilly area in the
west, and lower and mid slopes of a small ridgeline; South Wambo Creek and associated creek banks and
floodplain; rolling hills to the north east of the creek lines in the central part of the project area; an extensive
tract of flat lying floodplain associated with the confluence of South Wambo Creek and Wollombi Brook; and
the lower slopes, floodplain and south bank of North Wambo Creek.
Stony Creek, a major tributary of South Wambo Creek, was located in the western part of the project area
and would have provided permanent water. A flood plain extended from the western side of the creek to
some low lying foothills to the immediate west of the project area. Incised river terraces occurred along the
eastern bank of the creek. These west facing slopes were fairly steep and severely affected by extensive
sheet wash erosion. They formed the toe and foot slopes of a major ridge line and spur which leads down
from the Wollemi escarpment in the north west. The creek line, terraces and floodplain all showed evidence
of repeated inundation events. The confluence of Stony Creek and South Wambo Creek was in a low lying
marshy area. The small rolling hills to the north of these two creeks would likely have provided excellent
resources for the procurement of food and raw materials for the manufacture of stone tools.
With the exception of one isolated find in the flood plain area close to the northern bank of Stony Creek close
to the confluence with South Wambo Creek, identified sites were located above the floodplain in the toe and
foot slope areas or on the easily accessible slopes of the hills. One isolated find was situated on the surface
of the west facing terrace area and two isolated finds were on the east facing toe slope on the opposite side
of the creek above the flood line in the western part of the project area. Several isolated finds and small
artefact scatters were on the lower south east facing slope areas close to the flood plain. The larger artefact
scatters were on the lower south and south east facing slopes of a large spur which formed part of a
ridgeline that extended from Wollemi escarpment and on gentle sloped areas and the crest of the hills in the
northern part of the project area.
The project area was highly disturbed through previous farming practices, vehicle access and livestock
grazing. In general, ground surface visibility ranged between 50 and 70%, with moderate to low levels of
vegetation coverage and a high incidence of ground surface exposure due to disturbances. Artefact sites
were generally located on the slopes and crests. Site patterning in this part of the Stony Creek catchment
was restricted to the foot slopes to the west of the flood plain and the toe of spur that formed part of the
Wollemi ridgeline in the west. Artefact sites were concentrated on the elevated banks of the spur on the
north eastern side of Stony Creek, and in the gently rolling foothills to the east.
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