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State Significant Development

Determination

New Cobar Complex Project

Cobar Shire

Current Status: Determination

Interact with the stages for their names

  1. SEARs
  2. Prepare EIS
  3. Exhibition
  4. Collate Submissions
  5. Response to Submissions
  6. Assessment
  7. Recommendation
  8. Determination

Amalgamation of underground mining at New Cobar, Great Cobar, Gladstone, Chesney and Jubilee deposits to create the New Cobar Complex Project.

Attachments & Resources

Notice of Exhibition (1)

Request for SEARs (1)

SEARs (2)

EIS (35)

Response to Submissions (9)

Agency Advice (18)

Additional Information (5)

Recommendation (2)

Determination (3)

Post-determination Notices (1)

Approved Documents

Management Plans and Strategies (14)

Other Documents (3)

Note: Only documents approved by the Department after November 2019 will be published above. Any documents approved before this time can be viewed on the Applicant's website.

Complaints

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Enforcements

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Inspections

There are no inspections for this project.

Note: Only enforcements and inspections undertaken by the Department from March 2020 will be shown above.

Submissions

Filters
Showing 1 - 20 of 26 submissions
WaterNSW
Comment
PARRAMATTA , New South Wales
Message
Thank you for allowing WaterNSW to comment on SSD-10419.
The proposal is not located near any WaterNSW land, assets or infrastructure, therefore we have no particular comments or requirements regarding the proposal.
WaterNSW requests the Department continues to consult with WaterNSW for any development that may impact on our assets, infrastructure or land, using the email address [email protected]
Justine Clarke - Catchment and Asset Protection Adviser
DPI Agriculture
Comment
DUBBO , New South Wales
Message
Good morning
Thank you for the opportunity to assess this proposal. We have no further comment in relation to this.
Thank you
Mary Kovac
NSW DPI Agriculture
cobar and district rugby union club
Support
COBAR , New South Wales
Message
The CDRUFC would like to support the project "with concerns". These concerns have yet to be adequately covered by the "make good" clause that we believe is included in the submission.

The concerns relate to:
1. Vibration from blasting and the damage it may cause to the clubhouse building.
2. The impact on ground water - namely our registered bore.
3. Land value dropping as a result of adjoining the development.
4. Dust and emissions from vent rises.

As it stands the "make good" clause only covers the replacement of water should our bore be drained, which is not guaranteed in times of drought if town water is unavailable. We would like the opportunity to negotiate and enter into an agreement with the company that includes guaranteed provisions that covers the impact on the rugby club for all 4 of the points that I have mentioned.
Biodiversity and Conservation Division
Comment
,
Message
Please find attached BCS's comments.
Attachments
Name Withheld
Support
COBAR , New South Wales
Message
As an isolated community of 4000 people Cobar relies heavily on mining enterprises for employment, any project that allows access to additional resources and therefore extends mine life will provide a positive contribution to the local community. The New Cobar project will make that positive contribution to the local community of Cobar and offset some of the losses experienced when Endeavor ceased mining activities. The project will provide continuity of employment for mine workers and contractors that directly support the project and all the indirect community services that receive a benefit from mine activity.
Daniel Steven
Support
Cobar , New South Wales
Message
I strongly support the New Cobar Complex Project. I think that the project is of great importance to the future of Cobar. Mining is the main driver of the local ecomony in Cobar and the Cobarshire. Without it, the town would likely not exist, and certainly not to its' current extent.

Lessons from the past continue to improve the environmental performance of mining. Mining operations now seek to minimise their impact on the environment. With the oversight of the the planning and environment teams at NSW government, I beleive the benefits to the town, peoples' lives and the state of NSW, of New Cobar Complex Project far outweight the minimised environmental impacts it will have.

Since Copper was discovered in 1871, incidentally at the Great Cobar deposit, there has been some form of mining in the town. Mining's significance to the town is huge. For example, as well as providing men to the frontlines in WWI, Cobar also supplied metal for the production of metal for use in the war effort. The depresion of the economy following the end of WWI was the death knell into mining of the Great Cobar desposit. It's quite fitting that some one hundred years later and 150 years after the initial discovery, the Great Cobar deposit, as part of the New Cobar Complex, can give back the town and NSW again.

Most locals would agree that the town has suffered since Endeavor ceased mining the Elura deposit. It caused many to leave town and it is quieter than ever. The New Cobar has the potential to help keep jobs in Cobar, sustaining, even improving the town's economy. Without mining Cobar replies on agriculture and tourism. These both have positive and negative environmental impacts too. Furthermore they are reliant on unpredictable rain or the whim of people (and global pandemics!) respectively.

Obviously with any new devleopment there will be some impact on the environment. However, Peak Gold Mines has safely and succesfully explored the Great Cobar deposit in 2004, 2007, 2010 and from 2015 onwards. This activity has occured on the the doorstep of the town. Peak Gold Mines has a 29 year history of sucessfully mining at the Peak, New Occidnetal, New Cobar, Perseverance and Chesney deposits.

From reading the EIS it is clear that the Aurelia Metals have undertaken significant work to get the project to this point. The introduction of Aurelia's Green Rules for all employees to live by at work, demonstrates the company's commitment to the environment.

Summing up I beleive the benefits of the project far outweight any negative impacts the project will have. These benefits will not only flow to Aurelia's share holders, but to local businesses, people in Cobar and the state more genrally.
Subsidence Advisory NSW
Comment
,
Message
See attached SA NSW response.
Attachments
Name Withheld
Support
COBAR , New South Wales
Message
the long jeopardy for the town and the community alone should support this proposal.
Midge (Cynthia ) Neale
Object
COBAR , New South Wales
Message
I object to this going any further because of the damage it has done and is doing to my house. Peak will take no responsibility's.
The proposal will have the stopes closer to my dwelling, so the damage will keep occurring.
Attachments
Name Withheld
Support
Lue , New South Wales
Message
It is quality projects like these that need to be approved not only for local beenfits such as jobs but for the wider State's benefit. Revenue from mining is imperitive for our State to maintain a high level of services such as roads, schools and hospitals. These types of primary industries need to get up and even more so now as we recover financially from Covid-19 over the coming years and as coal mining gets under more pressure to reduce.
Name Withheld
Support
ALBION PARK RAIL , New South Wales
Message
The creation/maintaining of jobs is critical to the local, state and national economy
ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AUTHORITY
Comment
BATHURST , New South Wales
Message
Please refer to EPA letter attached.
Attachments
Crown Lands
Comment
,
Message
For new and existing mining operations involving Cobar Wrightcille Common, Crown land, Crown roads and Crown waterways the following requirements apply:

1. All Crown land and Crown roads within a Mining Lease (with surface rights), subject to mining or mining related activity, must be subject to a Compensation Agreement issued under Section 265 of the Mining Act 1992, to be agreed and executed prior to any mining activity taking place. The Compensation Agreement may include conditions requiring the Mining Lease Holder to purchase Crown land impacted on by mining activity.
2. All Crown land and Crown roads located within an Exploration Licence, subject to exploration activity, must be subject to an Access Arrangement issued under Section 141 of the Mining Act 1992, to be agreed and executed prior to any exploration activity taking place.
3. All Crown land and Crown roads within a Mining Lease (with sub-surface rights only) must be subject to a Section 81 Consent under the Mining Act 1992 where surface activities are proposed, to be agreed and executed prior to any surface activity taking place.
It is noted that the Crown road portion (Filtration Plant Road) east off
the Kidman highway, is currently being transferred to Council.
WesTrac NSW
Support
TOMAGO , New South Wales
Message
WesTrac supports this project, our letter of support is attached.
Attachments
Heritage NSW – HERITAGE COUNCIL OF NSW
Comment
PARRAMATTA , New South Wales
Message
recommended conditions for historic heritage are in the attached letter.
Attachments
ROADS AND MARITIME SERVICES DIVISION
Comment
,
Message
Additional information required in relation to this application. Letter attached outlining the additional information required.
Attachments
TRANSPORT FOR NSW
Comment
Chippendale , New South Wales
Message
Please see attached.
Attachments
NSW Resources Regulator
Comment
,
Message
Please see attached.
Attachments
John Stingemore
Object
COBAR , New South Wales
Message
Loss of ground water will cause death of trees and other vegetation. I don't think this has sufficiently been considered and that the amount of information on aquifers in inadequate to make a proper prediction of effect.
I am concerned about the dust and I don't think that there is sufficient comparative data to say what the impact of this will be on the environment and human health. I am particularly concerned about lead and other heavy metals. What testing will there be for blood levels and for run-off into storm water drains, domestic water tanks and gardens?
I am not convinced that the waste rock from the project has been sufficiently provided for.
I do not believe that the negative effect of on-going blasting on old buildings in town has been sufficiently considered. The blasts may be in the limits, but what about continuous effects?
I don't believe the project will provide economic benefits to the town.
Jo Brown
Object
COBAR , New South Wales
Message
ROAD TRAFFIC NOISE
The increase in HV movements will increase noise levels which can be heard quite distinctly at our property Delavale (R31). Table 8.10 records traffic noise for vehicles travelling at 100km/h, but does not take into account the noise levels of increased HV vehicles loading, taking off, braking and changing gears at the New Cobar Complex and entering onto Kidman Way. The current level of traffic already causes interrupted sleep and stress for us.
The rock breaking and reversing alarms as the materials are transferred from underground trucks to surface road trains for transport between sites is already heard distinctly from within our home during the day & night causing distress due to disturbed sleep. Any increase will make life unbearable.
INCREASED TRAFFIC ENTERING ONTO KIDMAN WAY
The entry to our property is opposite the New Cobar Complex and adjacent to an informal unsealed truck stop where there will be increased HV movements. The widening shown in Figure 15.4 will only assist trucks and not through traffic. The road will require widening to allow any turning lane for the trucks both entering and exiting the High Way for the safety of all road users. The truck stop should also be sealed to reduce the levels of dust.
WATER FROM YOUNG AUSTRALIA
The watercourse (B) from the Young Australia tanks is our main source of water for household and stock purposes. We have concerns about the quality & quantity of water being affected by these operations.
VIBRATIONS
We have been subjected to vibrations from mining operations for many years, some causing damage to our house. Most of our complaints have not been addressed. We are concerned the level of vibrations will increase, causing damage to our buildings and stress to our ourselves, especially as operations will move closer to our property with the Gladstone operations. Vibration records show days missing which coincide with days that our property has been subjected to heavy vibrations that have been physically felt and evident through the rattle of windows and dishes falling and tiles cracking.
DUST AND EMISSIONS
My understanding of the mineralogy of the proposed ore bodies includes a significant increase in sulfur which presents risks of dust explosions. We can already smell fumes which are emitted from the existing vent rises and are concerned for the health of ourselves and also the Cobar community as a whole due to increased operations.

Pagination

Project Details

Application Number
SSD-10419
Assessment Type
State Significant Development
Development Type
Minerals Mining
Local Government Areas
Cobar Shire
Decision
Approved
Determination Date
Decider
Director

Contact Planner

Name
Philip Nevill