Bylong Coal Mine

After reading the application I see this proposal involves mining for coal in an environmentally sensitive area for 25 years. This means producing something which the rest of the world is turning away from, so little financial benefit, destroying the environment., which can never be returned to how it was, and all for 470 jobs.

This does not add up. There are enough mines now and no new ones are necessary. The viability is questionable, the people are sick of being left with huge costs for rehabilitation of the land after mining, and the environment should be our top priority.

Thank you

I am appalled by the size of this development. Coal mining is on its way out and here we have a development that will reduce the beautiful Bylong Valley into a wasteland. Look at Ulan down the road and the threat to the Gibralter River National Park. The Bylong Valley is a beautiful place full of good arable farmland well worth saving.
The predicted long term impacts on this prime agricultural land and water systems in the Valley are unacceptable. A significant proportion of land will be destroyed the mine footprint will disturb 2, 875 ha of land including 440 ha of Bioregional significant agricultural , 260 ha being destroyed in open cut. Impacts on groundwater and surface water will be significant. Loss of flows to the Bylong River is predicted to be 918 ML/year..
The social impacts on the inhabitants of the Valley have already been devastating and this mine will obliterate any community remaining.

All one has to do is to look at Ulan and see the devastating impact on some beautiful country that should be preserved and a community that deserves to survive.

I object to the proposed mine in bylong for a number of reasons. Some of these include:
1. The predicted long-term impacts on prime agricultural land and water systems in the Bylong Valley are unacceptable and will not be mitigated through proposed offsets and rehabilitation. The renowned Tarwyn Park natural sequence farming processes will be destroyed.

2. A significant area of prime agricultural land will be destroyed: the mine footprint will disturb 2,875 hectares (ha) of land including 440 ha of Bioregional Significant Agricultural Land (BSAL), 260 ha being destroyed in open cut, plus 700 ha of mapped Critical Equine Industry Cluster land. The proposal to replace BSAL at another location is untested and high risk.

3. Impacts on groundwater and surface water will be significant. The highly connected alluvial aquifer system within the stressed Bylong River catchment will have predicted peak losses of up to 295 million litres per year (ML/yr). Loss of base flows to the Bylong River is predicted to be 918 ML/yr. The mine proposes to use up to 1,942 ML/yr which is over 75% of the annual rainfall recharge. The river system is over allocated and local farmers will lose important water supply.

4. The mine disturbance area has very high biodiversity values that will not be mitigated through the proposed offset arrangements. Nationally endangered species recorded in the area include the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby, New Holland Mouse, Regent Honeyeater and Spotted-tailed Quoll. Three entirely new plant species were recorded. A significant area of critically endangered Grassy Box Gum Woodland will be destroyed along with habitat for 17 threatened birds and 7 threatened plants.

5. The area has Aboriginal cultural heritage significance: 239 sites were recorded in the study area with 25 regarded as being of high local or regional significance (including an ochre quarry, grinding grooves and rock shelters); 144 sites have been identified at risk from mine impacts with 102 within the open cut area.

6. Important European heritage, including the Catholic Church Cemetery, Upper Bylong Public School and a number of historic homesteads and farm buildings will be destroyed in the open-cut. The social impacts on the Bylong community have already been devastating.

I am making this submission as a resident of Mudgee for over 34 years and business owner.
I am in support of the project and can see the benefits it will bring to the region however I do have concerns over the plans to accommodate between 300 and 650 people on site. If these people (the majority of the workforce) are encouraged to live in a mining camp I do not believe that the Mid Western Region will experience the benefits of this new employment as these works will live in housing that is catered for by a national company with supply networks outside of the area.
We want to be able to welcome new workers into our community and strengthen the fabric of our area through social, sporting and community programs. These people and their families need to live in the region to embrace this, not move from work to a donga with no interaction with the area they are working in. Once encouraged they will help the economy, spending and creating more jobs and with population increase allow for governments to see better value in upgrades for essential services like heath, education, transport and aged care.
People in these camps are disengaged with their families and it has been long studied that this is having massive impact on the mental health of our community, so much so that there is a current House of Representatives Inquiry into the use of `fly-in, fly-out' (FIFO) workforce practices in regional Australia.
http://theconversation.com/mining-fly-in-fly-out-workers-and-the-risk-of-suicide-9998
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=ra/fifodido/tor.htm
Our region is not a remote outpost like parts of Queensland and WA where mining camps are the only way to accommodate workers, we have plenty of capacity to house 650+ workers and have them engaged with our community socially and economically.
I hope that the project is approved but we are allowed to see the new workforce (85% from outside of the area) move to the townships in the region and make the Mid-Western Region a better place to live.

The last thing this country needs is for another coal mine or three to take over our farming land. Our country is dry, and coal mining uses far more water than agriculture, it will affect the quantity and the quality of the water in the Bylong Valley.

In this day and age, water and food production are far more important long term goals than a 10 year coal mine that will destroy the area.

The environmental impact will be irreversible. There are many significant Aboriginal sites within the proposed open cut area, these will all be destroyed.

Bylong Valley is beautiful , and too precious to be dug up for a coal mine!

1. The predicted long-term impacts on prime agricultural land and water systems in the Bylong Valley are unacceptable and will not be mitigated through proposed offsets and rehabilitation. The renowned Tarwyn Park natural sequence farming processes will be destroyed. I have followed the sequence farming processes myself and they are revolutionary. We need this form of agriculture to take us into the next century.

2. A significant area of prime agricultural land will be destroyed: the mine footprint will disturb 2,875 hectares (ha) of land including 440 ha of Bioregional Significant Agricultural Land (BSAL), 260 ha being destroyed in open cut, plus 700 ha of mapped Critical Equine Industry Cluster land. The proposal to replace BSAL at another location is untested and high risk.

3. Impacts on groundwater and surface water will be significant. The highly connected alluvial aquifer system within the stressed Bylong River catchment will have predicted peak losses of up to 295 million litres per year (ML/yr). Loss of base flows to the Bylong River is predicted to be 918 ML/yr. The mine proposes to use up to 1,942 ML/yr which is over 75% of the annual rainfall recharge. The river system is over allocated and local farmers will lose important water supply.

4. The mine disturbance area has very high biodiversity values that will not be mitigated through the proposed offset arrangements. Nationally endangered species recorded in the area include the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby, New Holland Mouse, Regent Honeyeater and Spotted-tailed Quoll. Three entirely new plant species were recorded. A significant area of critically endangered Grassy Box Gum Woodland will be destroyed along with habitat for 17 threatened birds and 7 threatened plants.

5. The area has Aboriginal cultural heritage significance: 239 sites were recorded in the study area with 25 regarded as being of high local or regional significance (including an ochre quarry, grinding grooves and rock shelters); 144 sites have been identified at risk from mine impacts with 102 within the open cut area.

6. Important European heritage, including the Catholic Church Cemetery, Upper Bylong Public School and a number of historic homesteads and farm buildings will be destroyed in the open-cut. The social impacts on the Bylong community have already been devastating.

Bylong Valley is a unique area of prime agricultural land that should not be mined because of the long-term impacts on farming processes. Open cut mines are an eyesore that we don't want in the Bylong Valley and it also has unseen effects on the groundwater and vital catchment area for the local farmers. Endangered species will lose their habitats when it is destroyed by mining putting biodiversity at significant risk. Being an area of Aboriginal significance means it shouldn't be mined as well and will have a massive detrimental impact on the local community.

The predicted long-term impacts on prime agricultural land and water systems in the Bylong Valley are unacceptable and will not be mitigated through proposed offsets and rehabilitation. The renowned Tarwyn Park natural sequence farming processes will be destroyed.

A significant area of prime agricultural land will be destroyed: the mine footprint will disturb 2,875 hectares (ha) of land including 440 ha of Bioregional Significant Agricultural Land (BSAL), 260 ha being destroyed in open cut, plus 700 ha of mapped Critical Equine Industry Cluster land. The proposal to replace BSAL at another location is untested and high risk.

Impacts on groundwater and surface water will be significant. The highly connected alluvial aquifer system within the stressed Bylong River catchment will have predicted peak losses of up to 295 million litres per year (ML/yr). Loss of base flows to the Bylong River is predicted to be 918 ML/yr. The mine proposes to use up to 1,942 ML/yr which is over 75% of the annual rainfall recharge. The river system is over allocated and local farmers will lose important water supply.

The mine disturbance area has very high biodiversity values that will not be mitigated through the proposed offset arrangements. Nationally endangered species recorded in the area include the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby, New Holland Mouse, Regent Honeyeater and Spotted-tailed Quoll. Three entirely new plant species were recorded. A significant area of critically endangered Grassy Box Gum Woodland will be destroyed along with habitat for 17 threatened birds and 7 threatened plants.

The area has Aboriginal cultural heritage significance: 239 sites were recorded in the study area with 25 regarded as being of high local or regional significance (including an ochre quarry, grinding grooves and rock shelters); 144 sites have been identified at risk from mine impacts with 102 within the open cut area.

Important European heritage, including the Catholic Church Cemetery, Upper Bylong Public School and a number of historic homesteads and farm buildings will be destroyed in the open-cut. The social impacts on the Bylong community have already been devastating.

I grew up in the region not far from here. I plan to return in the not too distant future. One of my dreams was to own productive farmland in this region. If the mine goes ahead, there will be none left.

1. The predicted long-term impacts on prime agricultural land and water systems in the Bylong Valley are unacceptable and will not be mitigated through proposed offsets and rehabilitation. The renowned Tarwyn Park natural sequence farming processes will be destroyed.

2. A significant area of prime agricultural land will be destroyed: the mine footprint will disturb 2,875 hectares (ha) of land including 440 ha of Bioregional Significant Agricultural Land (BSAL), 260 ha being destroyed in open cut, plus 700 ha of mapped Critical Equine Industry Cluster land. The proposal to replace BSAL at another location is untested and high risk.

3. Impacts on groundwater and surface water will be significant. The highly connected alluvial aquifer system within the stressed Bylong River catchment will have predicted peak losses of up to 295 million litres per year (ML/yr). Loss of base flows to the Bylong River is predicted to be 918 ML/yr. The mine proposes to use up to 1,942 ML/yr which is over 75% of the annual rainfall recharge. The river system is over allocated and local farmers will lose important water supply.

4. The mine disturbance area has very high biodiversity values that will not be mitigated through the proposed offset arrangements. Nationally endangered species recorded in the area include the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby, New Holland Mouse, Regent Honeyeater and Spotted-tailed Quoll. Three entirely new plant species were recorded. A significant area of critically endangered Grassy Box Gum Woodland will be destroyed along with habitat for 17 threatened birds and 7 threatened plants.

5. The area has Aboriginal cultural heritage significance: 239 sites were recorded in the study area with 25 regarded as being of high local or regional significance (including an ochre quarry, grinding grooves and rock shelters); 144 sites have been identified at risk from mine impacts with 102 within the open cut area.

6. Important European heritage, including the Catholic Church Cemetery, Upper Bylong Public School and a number of historic homesteads and farm buildings will be destroyed in the open-cut. The social impacts on the Bylong community have already been devastating.

The impact of this mine on the local region will be overwhelmingly negative in the long term, and the damage will be irreparable. This undermines any short term financial benefits to the local economy (which is lessened by the fact that foreign ownership and toothless mining tax structures mean that most of the financial benefits will go offshore anyway). Instead of opening new mines, companies present should be finishing off the mines that they have already commenced. Rather than walking out on the last 20% or so that "costs too much" to retrieve, they should finish mines that have already damaged their immediate surroundings. Rather than damaging another pristine environment, the government should insist on adequate mine completion and development of sustainable technologies. Allowing this development will be sacrificing Australian country and livelihoods for foreign short-sighted and selfish financial gains. Overall, the government should be focusing on developing renewable energy sources and making them cost effective, rather than selling out our beautiful and irreplaceable country to those set on making a last dash for dollars in the finite resources sector.

i totally object to the proposed mining development for the Bylong Valley for the following reasons-
1. It is prime agricultural land which can never be replaced or repaired after it has been destroyed.
2.If this land is destroyed it will destroy our world renowned equine breeding and training industries which have taken years to achieve and make a success. There is no guarantee this land is replaceable or would achieve the same qualities.
3. There are Aboriginal cultural heritage sites which will be destroyed by this mine.
4.There are a number of historic homesteads and properties which will be destroyed by this mine.
5. The mine will cause great social impacts on the community with the loss of employment in the farming and equine industries in the area.
6. Many health serious issues are linked to open cut mining and its negative environmental impacts.
7. The negative impacts of the groundwater and surface water are significant. There will not be enough water for the local farmers to grow their produce.
8. The environment and habitact of endangered wildlife and flora along with non endangered species will be permanently destroyed by this mining process.
9. Tarwyn Park natural sequence farming processes will be destroyed.
To conclude I feel it is absolutely disgraceful that the government would even contemplate the idea of allowing a mine to exist in this precious agricultural area. Mining is a destructive short term money making process which the land never recovers from. There is already a very profitable equine and agricultural industry in existence which is sustainable and will continue to exist and improve for generations to come. The government needs to put the community first and stop this mine going ahead.
Regards
Kerry Coomes

Points you might like to include in your submission:

1. The predicted long-term impacts on prime agricultural land and water systems in the Bylong Valley are unacceptable and will not be mitigated through proposed offsets and rehabilitation. The renowned Tarwyn Park natural sequence farming processes will be destroyed.

2. A significant area of prime agricultural land will be destroyed: the mine footprint will disturb 2,875 hectares (ha) of land including 440 ha of Bioregional Significant Agricultural Land (BSAL), 260 ha being destroyed in open cut, plus 700 ha of mapped Critical Equine Industry Cluster land. The proposal to replace BSAL at another location is untested and high risk.

3. Impacts on groundwater and surface water will be significant. The highly connected alluvial aquifer system within the stressed Bylong River catchment will have predicted peak losses of up to 295 million litres per year (ML/yr). Loss of base flows to the Bylong River is predicted to be 918 ML/yr. The mine proposes to use up to 1,942 ML/yr which is over 75% of the annual rainfall recharge. The river system is over allocated and local farmers will lose important water supply.

4. The mine disturbance area has very high biodiversity values that will not be mitigated through the proposed offset arrangements. Nationally endangered species recorded in the area include the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby, New Holland Mouse, Regent Honeyeater and Spotted-tailed Quoll. Three entirely new plant species were recorded. A significant area of critically endangered Grassy Box Gum Woodland will be destroyed along with habitat for 17 threatened birds and 7 threatened plants.

5. The area has Aboriginal cultural heritage significance: 239 sites were recorded in the study area with 25 regarded as being of high local or regional significance (including an ochre quarry, grinding grooves and rock shelters); 144 sites have been identified at risk from mine impacts with 102 within the open cut area.

6. Important European heritage, including the Catholic Church Cemetery, Upper Bylong Public School and a number of historic homesteads and farm buildings will be destroyed in the open-cut. The social impacts on the Bylong community have already been devastating.

I urge the NSW government to block the proposed coal mine in the bylong region. World wide the use of coal power for energy is steadily decreasing and it seems short sighted to allow a new mine to commence. This mine is also in an extremely valuable agricultural and natural heritage area and the loss of these resources cannot be compensated by mining $$.

The predicted long-term impacts on prime agricultural land and water systems in the Bylong Valley are unacceptable and will not be mitigated through proposed offsets and rehabilitation. The renowned Tarwyn Park natural sequence farming processes will be destroyed.

I strongly object to the Bylong Valley being dug up for a coal mine. It is short sighted and a totally inappropriate use of Australia's prime agricultural land. Not just any old land but 700 ha of mapped Critical Equine Industry Cluster land and 440 ha of Bioregional Significant Agricultural Land (BSAL)


This mine will have long-term impacts on the water systems of the valley which can never be rehabilitated. In addition the offsets do not compensate for the losses and the remaining farmers will not have enough water due to the overallocation of water to the mine.


I live in Sydney but care about the rural communities that are being impacted by coal mining. The social impacts on the Bylong community have already been devastating. I believe the majority of people of NSW do not approve of or condone the governments support and encouragement or coal mining at the expense of agricultural communities on prime agricultural land in NSW. It is a total folly.

Why cant we use existing coal mines which are up for sale with existing infrastructure rather than starting up brand new coal mines on green field sites. Where is the common sense. It feels like the planning department has it head in the sand and is not looking at the cumulative impacts of all these mines on the valleys of NSW.

Please consider the irreversible damage to the Bylong area if the Bylong coal project proceeds. A significant area of prime agricultural land will be destroyed: the mine footprint will disturb 2,875 hectares (ha) of land including 440 ha of Bioregional Significant Agricultural Land (BSAL), 260 ha being destroyed in open cut, plus 700 ha of mapped Critical Equine Industry Cluster land. The proposal to replace BSAL at another location is untested and high risk.

My family have been operating a cattle production business on Bylong Valley properties "Lee Creek" and "Carawatha" for over 40 years. The proposed coal mines will, we believe, have a deleterious impact on our business which will cause us significant financial hardship. This is in addition to the desecration of the pristine valley which will be damaged for all time.
We are concerned especially at the prospect of our groundwater supplies being significantly diminished by the overuse of water in the coal mining production. In dry times the water level in the valley is known to fall by all the locals and that fall can at times leave normally reliable bores dry. If the water used by the mines is added to this it will most likely lead to many bores running dry in the valley which will affect cropping and animal production. We doubt the validity of the water modelling done by Kepco in the EIS.
We are also concerned with the negative impact on our families and staff through dust and noise pollution. The mine will be only 3km from our boundary.
As Kepco are planning to close the Upper Bylong Rd we will lose transport access to the north of our properties. We rely on all weather access for movement of stock and bulk supplies. To the south of us the road is unroadworthy in wet conditions. A creek crossing on "Lee Creek" is also flood prone so we require access and egress in north and south directions.
We seek for the Budden Gap Rd to be upgraded to an all weather road capable of handling large semis and cattle trucks.

There are any number of very compelling reasons as to why the Bylong Valley should not have a mining development approved including the impacts on prime farming land, aboriginal heritage and water usage. However in the light of all the evidence with regard to the impact which export of Australian coal has on increased carbon emissions and there fore global warming and global environmental destruction, it is irresponsible to give approval to any NEW coal mines. There is a need for a transition from coal to renewables, but there is sufficient coal being produced from current mines to meet that need. Opening new coal mines now smacks of the greedy rush to get as much out of the ground and exported before the prices collapse further .... as they surely will. Australians deserve decision makers to take full responsibility for their knowing contribution to the destruction of our planet. There should be no approval for new coal mines EVER and certainly not in the beautiful Bylong Valley

I submit the following objection in relation to the proposed coal mine in the Bylong Valley. The practice of destroying prime land for mining is unsustainable.

1. The predicted long-term impacts on prime agricultural land and water systems in the Bylong Valley are unacceptable and will not be mitigated through proposed offsets and rehabilitation.
The renowned Tarwyn Park natural sequence farming processes will be destroyed.

2. A significant area of prime agricultural land will be destroyed: the mine footprint will disturb 2,875 ha of land including 440 ha of Bioregional Significant Agricultural Land (BSAL), 260 ha being destroyed in open cut, plus 700 ha of mapped Critical Equine Industry Cluster land.
The proposal to replace BSAL at another location is untested and high risk.

3. Impacts on groundwater and surface water will be significant. The highly connected alluvial aquifer system within the stressed Bylong River catchment will have predicted peak losses of up to 295 million litres per year (ML/yr). Loss of base flows to the Bylong River is predicted to be 918 ML/yr. The mine proposes to use up to 1,942 ML/yr which is over 75% of the annual rainfall recharge. The river system is over allocated and local farmers will lose important water supply.

4. The mine disturbance area has very high biodiversity values that will not be mitigated through the proposed offset arrangements. Nationally endangered species recorded in the area include the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby, New Holland Mouse, Regent Honeyeater and Spotted-tailed Quoll. Three entirely new plant species were recorded. A significant area of critically endangered Grassy Box Gum Woodland will be destroyed along with habitat for 17 threatened birds and 7 threatened plants.

5. The area has Aboriginal cultural heritage significance: 239 sites were recorded in the study area with 25 regarded as being of high local or regional significance (including an ochre quarry, grinding grooves and rock shelters); 144 sites have been identified at risk from mine impacts with 102 in the open cut area.

6. Important European heritage, including the Catholic Church Cemetery, Upper Bylong Public School and a number of historic homesteads and farm buildings will be destroyed in the open cut. The social impacts on the Bylong community have already been devastating.

The loss of good agricultural land and fauna habitat for the creation of a coal mine, combined with the damage that this fuel creates means that the approval of the mine is a poor decision by the government.

I object to the proposed Bylong Coal Project by Kepco.
The predicted long term impacts on prime agricultural land and water systems in the Bylong valley are unacceptable and will not be mitigated through proposed offsets and rehabilitation. The renowned Tarywn Park natural sequence farming process will be destroyed.
A significant area of prime agricultural land will be destroyed.
Impacts on the ground water and surface water will be significant. The river system will be over allocated and local farmers will lose important water supply.
Mining in this area will also impact greatly on local tourism. The Bylong Valley is located within a 3 hour driving radius of Sydney and Newcastle.