A sinkhole on a Gillieston Heights property has been filled, but the family that lives there believes the effects of mine subsidence has rendered their land worthless.
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Kylie Neale said representatives from the Mine Subsidence Board investigated the sinkhole in mid-June.
She said investigators could not see the bottom of the hole, which she believed could be up to 20 metres deep.
Ms Neale said the family awaited a district court hearing scheduled for August 11.
The Mine Subsidence Board defines sinkholes as cavities in the ground caused by movements of land.
They could lead to a depression or pothole in the ground surface and were generally less than five metres in diameter.
Ms Neale said she and her husband Andrew had taken legal action against Maitland City Council and Masterton Homes and they were waiting for the matter to progress.
They will seek compensation because they were not warned that the property was mine-affected before they bought the land seven years ago.
Ms Neale said the property, which they bought for $800,000, was worthless because of the problem.
“There is no pending case against the Mine Subsidence Board,” she said.
“The house is fine, but having the kids outside, it can be a bit of a worry for their safety.”
The Neales noticed that sinkholes began appearing around their Figtree Lane home soon after they bought the property.
Mine Subsidence Board representatives repaired four sinkholes on the land before the latest crater opened.
The Neales took their quest for compensation to the NSW Land and Environment Court last year, but the court ruled that it had no jurisdiction in the case.
