Cobbora Coal Mine

Dear Sir/Madam,



As a resident of NSW and an advocate for environmental issues in Australia and around the world, I oppose a future Cobbora coal mine for the following reasons:



The mine will cost the NSW taxpayer approx $3.4 billion and will be run at a loss. It is a direct subsidy to power generators in NSW. The argument for continued coal-fired electricity in comparison to the long-term benefits of renewable energy sources has not been made. I believe taxpayer's money would be better invested in renewable energy sources.



As well the project cannot guarantee a `reliable, secure and economically stable domestic coal supply (to) NSW generators' nor can it guarantee `affordable electricity in NSW.'



The project has a very large footprint and will cause major environmental impacts on woodland habitat as well as groundwater and surface water sources and loss of at least 79 Aboriginal cultural heritage sites.



I am concerned that the increased pump rate from the Cudgegong River and access to higher natural flows has not been adequately assessed.



As well the project aims to provide cheap domestic coal to power stations in the Upper Hunter and Central Coast. The health impacts of using poor quality coal have not been assessed.



Another reason I oppose the mine is the clearing of 1,959ha woodland habitat will impact on species listed for national protection with 100% loss of local population of several endangered animal and plant species.



Thankyou for the opportunity to make a submission on the revised Cobbora coal project.



Yours sincerely,

Dear Premier & Planning Minister



Please find enclosed my submission in relation to the propose Cobbora Coal Mine.



Yours sincerely



Adrian Watkins





Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed Cobbora coal mine. While I am not a resident of NSW I believe that opening of the Cobbora Coal Mine will affect where I live due to increased carbon dioxide emissions, loss of habitat & loss of biodiversity.



People are becoming increasingly aware that destruction of the natural environment is having a deleterious effect on our economy and on our living standards. The Cobbora coal mine, if it proceeds, will wreak massive destruction on yet another part of Australia's natural environment. It is therefore critical that this project be stopped very dead in its tracks.



The mine may provide jobs & profits but these are all short term and will pale into insignificance when compared with the long term losses to be endured by the Australian people if the mine proceeds. Far more sustainable energy alternatives exist to offset any short term energy & profit losses from canning of the project. A number of these alternatives could be located in the Dubbo area and sustainably benefit the local economy.



I therefore strongly urge all authorities connected with the project reject it.



Yours sincerely



Adrian Watkins

PO Box 744 MT BARKER SA 5251

[email protected]

0428 375 066

Dear Minister Hazzard,

I am completely opposed to the the NSW Governments proposal to develop a state-owned coal mine that will cost taxpayers more than $3 billion, destroy nearly two thousand hectares of wildlife habitat, and provide half-priced coal to our state's polluting power stations for more than 20 years.

The Cobbora coal mine, proposed for east of Dubbo, will provide heavily subsidised coal to six large coal fired power stations, locking in decades of carbon pollution, and delaying investment in clean, renewable energy.


The Cobbora mine proposal is environmentally destructive and fiscally irresponsible. I would prefer they spend $3 billion of taxpayers dollars on renewable energy like solar or wind, not outmoded, carbon emitting, climate changing coal mines!.


This ill-conceived proposal puts the narrow interests of coal-fired power generators above the interests of ordinary people and the environment.

In this day and age when biodiversity has never been more at threat and extreme climatic events ravage our country, for the government to propose this, is a clear sign the government have abrogated their duty of care to the people and environment of NSW.


Moreover the government could be seen to be aiding and abetting the coal companies to perpetrate ecocide.



I urge the state government to abandon this costly, polluting and destructive proposal.

Yours sincerely


Linda Gill


--
Cr Linda Gill
155 Squires Rd
Wootton. NSW. 2423

Home.49977263
Mob. 0401797756

Silence=Consent. N.Chomsky

I strongly wish to express my objection to the Cobbora Coal Mine, not merely because it will destroy 200 hectares of wildlife habitat. Given that the real threat of climate change and global warming is gravely concerning the most distinguished levels of the international scientific establishment, and capturing the attention of world governments and global news headlines on a daily basis, then any responsible State authority must seriously enact policies that will drive the global mean temperature rise below the "2 degree guardrail limit", although the recent Doha World Climate Summit warned that this opportunity has slipped away.

Therefore, rather than heavily subsidise coal to generators at a loss to taxpayers, the government should be supporting a more level playing field, with any new investments advancing Australia's future position in the emerging low carbon global economy. Australia's abundant renewable energy resources of solar and wind are the envy of the world. Specifically, concentrated solar thermal technology offers despatchable power, which is better than baseload coal generation, which if strategically located and supported by wind power, along with an increasing rooftop photovoltaic penetration, will easily support the bulk of Australia's energy demand over the coming decade and beyond.

Notwithstanding environmental considerations, please reconsider the business case for this project. It is well understood that even the Gulf States are now looking to invest massively in solar so they can reduce their domestic oil consumption rather than compete with high export prices.

Objection to:-
Cobbora Coal Project - Preferred Project Report
Application No: 10-0001

Dear sirs,
I am a resident of NSW and I object to the above application based on the following considerations -

The justification for the project is based on incorrect projections of demand for coal-fired electricity over the next 10 years. Demand has dropped significantly since this project was proposed.

The price of black coal on the export market has also dropped below the projections used to justify the need to source cheaper coal for domestic use.

The mine will cost the NSW taxpayer approx $3.4 billion and will be run at a loss. It is a direct subsidy to power generators in NSW. The argument for continued coal-fired electricity in comparison to the long-term benefits of renewable energy sources has not been made. Taxpayer's money would be better invested in renewable energy sources.

The project has a very large footprint and will cause major environmental impacts on woodland habitat as well as groundwater and surface water sources and loss of at least 79 Aboriginal cultural heritage sites.

The clearing of 1,959ha woodland habitat will impact on species listed for national protection: eg Grassy Box Woodland; endangered and vulnerable plants, including 100% loss of the local population of Tylophora linearis, endangered bird species including australasian bittern, malleefowl, regent honeyeater, superb parrot; and vulnerable microbat species - southern long-eared bat, large-eared pied bat.

The mine will need to use up to 4,340 ML (million litres) of water per year from surface water and groundwater interception. The use of high security licenced water from the Cudgegong River will threaten the water security of the Mudgee region wine and tourism industries. It could also threaten the long -term security of urban water supply from Windamere Dam.

The cost benefit analysis for the project has not taken into account the social disruption; competition for workforce with other industries, particularly the agricultural industry across western NSW; or the costs of major infrastructure upgrades, particularly rail lines, to accommodate additional coal transport.

Towns and properties along the coal chain will be impacted by additional noise and dust from increased coal train movements.

The justification for the mine is based on contracts negotiated by the ALP Govt as part of the Gentrader deal. These could be filled through other arrangements.

The ecological footprint of the mine is too high and cannot be adequately offset. The PPR does not identify a final offset package because this is not achievable.

The increased height of over burden emplacements by 20m will increase dust emissions. The air quality model needs to be redone using all available meteorological information.

The proposal to implement the draft `Rail Infrastructure Noise Policy' will disadvantage local residents affected by increased noise from the proposed rail loop.


John Spira
2 Headland Avenue Austinmer 2515
Ph. 0438538393

Dear Minister


I strongly object to the proposal to develop this environmentally destructive coal mine.

To give approval to this unnecessary mine would be short-sighted and totally irresponsible. The estimated 3 billion dollars of tax payers money which would be spent on this project, will only perpetuate the polluting fossil fuel industry, and should be diverted to developing clean renewable energy sources, which will inevitably have to be done.


Please show some initiative and leadership and abandon this short-sighted, reckless proposal.


Yours sincerely

Greg Gill


--

Greg Gill

155 Squires Rd.

Wootton 2423

NSW

Dear Mr. Hazzard,


The Cobbora coal mine, proposed for east of Dubbo, will provide heavily subsidised coal to six large coal fired power stations, locking in decades of carbon pollution, and delaying investment in clean, renewable energy.


It's not the sort of world I want to leave to my grandchildren. Please oppose this planned mine.


Margaret Mangelsdorf
voter

I object to the proposed coal mine. NSW will be profoundly affected by climate change. Increased severe weather events, such as flooding, drought and bushfire, are forecast. Governments should be doing what they can to protect the population from such disasters. No more coal mines should be approved, and an urgent move to renewable energy sources should be mandated and encouraged.

Cobbora Coal Project - Preferred Project Report
Application No: 10-0001

Objection to Cobbora Coal Project
This project is a total misuse of taxpayers money. If tax payers money is to be used to subsidise the cost of electricity it should be done by making renewable energy more affordable through subsidising solar panels for lower income groups.

This project does not fit in with the principles of ecologically sustainable development to which the state government has supposedly committed itself.

Other key points of objection are:
The economic assessment of the project and response to submissions has not adequately addressed the cost of a state-owned coal mine to the taxpayers of NSW.

The project cannot guarantee a `reliable, secure and economically stable domestic coal supply (to)NSW generators' nor can it guarantee `affordable electricity in NSW.'

The justification for the mine is based on contracts negotiated by the ALP Govt as part of the Gentrader deal. These could be filled through other arrangements.

The PPR does not justify the increase in water demand for mining operations from the previous prediction of 3,700 ML per year up to 4,340 ML per year.

The increased pump rate from the Cudgegong River and access to higher natural flows has not been adequately assessed.

The PPR will increase the area of destroyed woodland by 92 ha including an additional 11 ha of threatened ecological communities.

The ecological footprint of the mine is too high and cannot be adequately offset. The PPR does not identify a final offset package because this is not achievable.

The increased height of over burden emplacements by 20m will increase dust emissions. The air quality model needs to be redone using all available meteorological information.

The proposal to implement the draft `Rail Infrastructure Noise Policy' will disadvantage local residents affected by increased noise from the proposed rail loop.

The issue of train length on the Ulan line has not been addressed as identified in the ARTC 2012 - 2020 Rail Corridor Capacity Strategy.

As members of the current government categorically stated when they were in opposition: this project should not go ahead.

Dear Sirs,



If the Cobbora coal mine is allowed to proceed it will mean the destruction of over 1,850 hectares of native woodlands, loss of important agricultural land and damage to groundwater recourses. The $3million needed for developing such a coal mine should be spent on developing renewable energy and not blindly relying on polluting coal fired power stations in Australia and overseas.



Yours truly

Julie Bennett

I object to your approval of the Cobbora Coal Project. We need to restrict the use of coal, not open new mines. Develop renewable energy instead.


David McDougall
Villa One 166 Blackwall Rd
Woy Woy NSW 2256
Phone 0243418240

I strongly object to the development of the Cobbora Coal mine on the following grounds:

it is an old plan based on electricity consumption which has been decreasing due multiple reasons including efficiency
the ever-increasing number of home solar systems means electricity usage will continue to go down
the Cobbora mine will mean the destruction of some 2000ha of woodland near Dubbo, and area that has limited woodland
the cost of $3b is coming out of taxpayers funds which could be put to more effective use on alternative clean energy generation systems
digging coal out of that mine for the next 30 yrs will continue to add to the already excessive concentrations of CO2 in our atmosphere, directly from NSW power stations
We should be investing in solar thermal out at Dubbo and further west with ever increasing hours of sunshine and rising temperatures. Such technology is of the future whereas coal mining for energy goes back to early industrial times in England; an old, dirty, heavily polluting technology.
Adequate remediation of the planned site has not been factored in and with the number of coal mines becoming defunct over the coming decades will never be properly implemented
Yours sincerely

Robert Lollbach
17/9 Thorpe Ave
Liberty Grove NSW 2138
0419033704

5 March 2013


Re: Cobbora Coal Project - Preferred Project Report
Application No: 10-0001


I am a young professional in rural land service administration. I wish to lodge my objection to the abovementioned project as submitted.


The scale of the proposed project appears to be considerably greater than present conservative estimates. In particular, the submitted projected coal-power demands are highly optimistic in the present context. These also fail to accommodate any response to our national responsibilities for transition to low-carbon sustainable power generation.


In addition, the environmental and Aboriginal cultural impact proposed cannot be accommodated to meet local, state, national and international obligations. In particular, it is not possible to `offset' the clearing of almost 2,000 ha of woodland - including core habitat for threatened species - as proposed, in any meaningful way.


I call upon the planning department to demonstrate a more rational and reasonable approach to the present limited shortfall in coal for power production, in particular one which incorporates serious consideration of transition to a sustainable power industry in Australia.


Yours sincerely,

Peter Ridgeway

We are totally opposed to the proposed Cobbora Coal Project.


We must stop destroying our country and think of our future.


We must take any measure to save our aquifers. Water is our most precious asset.


We need laws to prohibit coal mining under any and all Agricultural Land, no matter who owns the land.


Coal mining should be restricted to sparsely populated and non-productive land.


We are effectively being taxed by the government for pollution of our environment, yet the NSW government
wants to add greatly to this pollution problem with this proposal. I must be missing something here because
this doesn't make any common sense??


The government's ultimate responsibility is to do what is best for our country,as well as what is best and fair for the
people, both now and for the future.


I know the state needs money, but we need a responsible government to achieve our needs in a better way
than resorting to communist style laws on mining and land owner's rights.


Michael Seay
331 Golden Vale Road,
Sutton Forest, NSW

The cobbarra coalmine should not be built because viable cost effective alternative energy investments which provide a secure future for the people and taxpayers of NSW are now competatively available and . Investors are waiting in the wings to get going here.

The environmental science and economic modelling as well as non green defence department intelligence briefs from organisations such as the CIA have shown that It is an environmental food security and national security disaster not to change to modern renewables.

A business model not based on the now well established climate science would be our downfall.

Renewables investment has surpassed fossil fuel investment according to Bloomberg last year.

Australia needs a piece of that pie and to provide an operational basis for future industries.

It should not dig its heals literally into the dirt like a child with a tantrum who feels that its favourite dirt truck is being taken away.. We have always had the courage to change and innovate in the past

Australia needs to stop using wasting public money to sell its soul and prop up something which is not competitive and not working namely fossil fuels.

We all now know and secretly admit to ourselves that the world will have to abandon fossil fuels anyway. Let's just get on with the future for heavens sake. What is so difficult about making much more money on that?

Let's get over the fact that the greens were right, forget the past, and get on with the future together of progressive world business and make some real money. Start re-positioning current business setups to start getting ahead of the game using our big advantage in the world, namely Australian creativity and innovation.

We know we can do it with our can do entrepreneurs.

I wish to submit my objection to the Cobbora Coal Mine / Mines for the following reasons:-


I have experiences as a qualified marine engineer with eight and a half years as a watch keeper on both motor and steamships, one of the latter burning high ash content fuel. This period of my life was followed by five and a half years as a Special Project Technical Officer for the Australian Ship Building Board. This Board was then administering the subsidy for the building of ships in Australian Shipyards.


In that position I was reqiured to study all aspects of the technology relating to all types of vessels, ranging from $55 million semi-submerged Offshore Oil Drilling Rigs, to seventy foot fishing vessels.


In addition to the obvious environmental effects, such as pollution of both air and water and the destruction of farmland and forest and the social and economic consquences, it is my opinion the coal is not worth mining. Its calorific value is so low and it has such a high ash content, that it is not suitable or safe for burning in modern high pressure and high temperature power station boilers.


The coal has to be mined and mixed from three different pits to obtain the low energy content of 5138 kilocalories per kilogram ( kcal/kg ). The ash content ranges from 25% to 45%. These figures come from the Cobbora Coal web site. The low energy of the coal makes it a very poor fuel. Also when combined with the energy expended in mining and carting from three different pits and mixing it to get this this low energy figure, it is a waste of time and money for a poor return.


The thing that concerns me most of all is the high ash content of 25% to 45%. There is no analysis of what is in this non combustible material! The ash is the inorganic impurities present in the fuel, usually consisting of sand and soil and sundry metallic oxides. If present, vanadium pentoxide is the most important. On ignition of the fuel the vanadium pentoxide in the ash is deposited on surrounding surfaces, where it has a profound effect as a corrosive agent at temperatures above 690 degrees Centigrade. These boilers have combustion temperatures much higher than this. If sodium is present, as it often is, it combines with the vanadium pentoxide to form a compound, the melting point of which, is about 630 degrees Centigrade. This compound, when it is molten, penetrates into and destroys the natural protective film of the metals in contact with it. This leaves them prone to high temperature oxidation and wastage.


Due to the high temperatures and high evaporation rate combined with the high pressures in these power station boilers, the water tubes are mounted vertically to avoid vapour locks. This would cause failure of the tubes due to loss of heat transfer through the metal to the fluid inside. This causes local failure of the the tubes and with the high pressures can be disastrous. High sulphur content can also be a problem in ash.


The Eraring Power Station near Newcastle, recently underwent a three year $750 million upgrade. This was to allow the use of low quality coal from the Ulan mine near Mudgee. Ulan domestic coal has an energy value of 6420 kcal / kg and an ash content of 22.5 to 25%.


After the upgrade and when bringing the number four boiler and its turbo generator up to peak load of 720 megawatts, the boiler experienced a tube or tubes failure. The resulting explosion tore a rent two metres long and one metre wide in a corner of the boiler casing. Luckily no one was in the vicinity at the time. The other three units were working well but all the units were put under strict restricted access to all personnel until the exact cause of the failure was established.


I cannot say definitely that the oxides in the low grade and high ash Ulan coal were to blame, but I have my suspicions. As far as I am aware, it is the only explosion in a modern power house boiler in NSW to date.


I am more than a little worried about Cobbora coal with an average ash content of 35.7 %. For comparision purposes, Ulan premuim steaming coal for export, has an ash content of 12.5 to 14.5 %.


Leave Cobbora rubbish coal in the ground where it belongs. I wouldn't want it in any boiler that I was responsible for. It has the potential to become a cross for the NSW public to bear.


Milton Judd,
2 Margaret St,
COONABARABRAN NSW 2357
[email protected]

Dear Sir/Madam,


I do not support the development of the proposed coal mine in Cobbora. My concerns are twofold, being:


(1) the destruction of almost 2,000 hectares of wildlife habitat and loss of biodiversity, and


(2) the opportunity cost of spending taxpayer's money to further entrench the use of fossil fuels, at the expense of developing the renewable energy industry.


Thank you for your attention.


Susanna Cheng
[email protected]
102/9 William Street
NORTH SYDNEY NSW 2060

Were the Cobbora coal mine to be built it would cost taxpayers more than $3 billion. Not only that, it would destroy nearly two thousand hectares of wildlife habitat while servicing the state with half-priced coal: this would further support polluting power stations for over 20 years. What rational government could want that? What type of people would we be to allow that!

Estimates for electricity over the next 10 years have proved to be incorrect as demand for this power has dropped significantly since the project was first proposed. Sink your money into clean energy sources and follow citizens' and the Chinese lead in switching to solar panels for private citizens and seek new industry power alternatives.




Rosemary and Terry Gatfield,

Australian citizens against Government madness; and pro-wildlife and environmental safety

I welcome the opportunity to put forward reasons why the approvals
for this State financed Coal Mine should not proceed:

1. The Mine is an ill conceived investment of $3.4 bill of NSW
taxpayers money.
2. The Mine will be a run at a continuing loss. It is in effect
another subsidy (gift?) to companies that bought the generator assets
after having done their economic modelling and deciding they were a
profitable investment.
3. The Mine can not guarantee a "reliable, secure and economically
stable domestic coal supply to NSW generators", as the time frame
for the Mine operation and the the life of the generators has not fixed.
4. The Mine's water use drawn from the Gulgong R has not been
adequately assessed. Nor has its effects on local and downstream users.
5. The Mine will have severe and improperly considered effects on
local populations: wildlife and human.

I consider this consequences of this development have had only a very
limited and narrow considerations. The interests of coal fired
generators seem paramount: the policy and precedent considerations
for investing tax revenue in this manner have not.

I urge your reconsideration of this project.

Richard Zoeller
41/2 Coulson St
Erskineville 2043

email: [email protected]

To whom it may concern,

Application No: 10-0001.
I am writing this email of my concern about the Proposed open cut mine in Cobborra.
I believe that this mine will cause detrimental impact on the environment as well as having a negative health impact such as increase in traffic incidents as well as the inhalation of coal dust and the large consumption of water it will use which will not befit the community.
Regards
Janelle Bicknell