Drayton Coal Mine Extension

Drayton has been mining for over 30 years, and the Drayton South lease has been earmarked for mining since the 1940's - we can continue to co-exist if we focus on the facts.
The regional economy cannot afford to loose the income spend of 500 local people or the burden of another 500 unemployed people.

Drayton supports local communities, charities and events consistently and their injection of royalties to the state government each year is vital for the development of roads and hospitals. Without the support of Drayton south, the hunter valley's once thriving economy will continue to dwindle, with the area already struggling to attract new residents. Please reconsider the revised proposal by Drayton for their expansion project, as my family, along with many others, our future depends on it.

Local greyhound trainer and my father is employed at Drayton. We need this community support and job oppertunity. What they do for the surrounding areas is able and beyond all the horse stud industry put together.

I wish this mining to be approved with appropriate development condition.

Drayton will be a massive asset to the industry and the area.

Working within the economy that Drayton South mine provides via the use of external suppliers such as myself, I and the customers that I work for rely heavily on the income from the mining sector in particular Drayton South. The Hunter Valley cannot afford to lose any more jobs.. I have family and friends who are now struggling to meet their commitments and feed their families due to the current economic climate in this area.

Drayton South supports not only their direct employees but local suppliers, local schools, sporting teams, hospitals, fundraisers of all kinds just to name a few.

I believe that Drayton are committed to making this work, they are committed to working with their neighbours and the locals to make this venture a success for all involved.

Please keep this area alive... without the mining community our local communities are going to slowly fade away.. we are losing our extended families due to lack of work. Our children and grandchildren are moving from the area due to lack of jobs.

Your decisions affect so many people on so many levels, so please think carefully before making such decisions.

Drayton South is critical to our community and the local economy, saving 500 jobs and continuing to provide work for 140 local businesses and $50 million a year in procurement.

The benefits of Drayton South also extend beyond the local community, injecting $60 million in state royalties and taxes to the New South Wales Government annually, which could be used for roads, hospitals and schools.

Drayton supports local schools, sporting teams and many important local charities and community services. Without Drayton South our community will suffer.

The revised Drayton South plan has moved behind the Planning Assessment Commission's nominated ridgeline, ensuring that the mine will not be visible from the operating areas of the neighbouring horse studs and noise will remain within the current backend levels, with no discernible change in air quality.

The changes to the Drayton South project will mean there are no adverse impacts on the horse studs, ensuring that the mine can continue to successfully coexist with other local industries.

All that the workers want is a fair go, with the project assessed on its merits using facts and evidence.

Myself along with many others would love to see this mine extension to go ahead. As a contractor who works at Drayton, the company I work for, community and myself need this mine to go ahead. This might be me being selfish but i think people and a whole community should come before the myth that the horse studs are putting out about harm this mine will cause horses and the surrounding studs.
People and a community should come before a gambling driven industry.

Drayton South extension is a positive move for both the local community & NSW. The royalties & tax that will be paid by Anglo Drayton is much needed to continue the growth of NSW

This extension will provide much needed employment in the Hunter Valley. The wages earned will be spent locally & keep the NSW economy growing. Local jobs for our communities. Unemployment is already over the state & national levels for the Hunter Valley & if this project does not go ahead we will be unemployed with no chance of future employment.

anglo has met all requirements in this new submission for drayton south expansion.
With all the media reports on all aspects of this coexistence issue between mine and studs i urge you to please not judge one industry against the other.
These two businesses have successfully coexisted from day one when studs bought land next to mines. Even though they do not pay taxes as the media stated there horses are of the finest quality winning races and selling for top dollar.
Drayton expansion proposal mets PAC requirements.
Please approve this proposal and save not just the miners jobs but all the supporting businesses of drayton .
Drayton injects into local communities as well as taxes.
Hunter valley has a high rate of unemployment please do not add to this, support drayton approve the expansion and allow these businesses to coexist as they have done and will continue to do. Studs are not going anywhere, why would they leave when they have purchased more land

I support the approval of Drayton South. I believe that the expansion is clearly in the interests of the Muswellbrook and greater Hunter communities. The employment that will be sustained, business that will continue to benefit and ongoing funding for community initiatives should be the first priority for its approval. The horse studs moved to the area subsequent to the initial Drayton mine's establishment. The current mine has not had any significant impacts on the horse studs' production or sustainability. In addition from a accounting perspective the ongoing operations of the studs do not seem to be impacted by the potential approval of the Drayton South project. This is reflected in the horse studs' annual financial reports. It is ludicrous to think that Drayton South could be knocked back on the basis of not being in the public's best interest when it has been proven to be significantly beneficial to the public interest.
I really hope that common sense prevails and the Drayton South project is approved.

I support the continuation of current operating mines in the Hunter Valley.

I support Drayton South Extension,as if it closes at 55 I feel no one will want someone my age when there will be so many unemployed. I feel the two Horse studs who are against this mine are being very single minded as "Mining and horses "have been co- existing for decades. I HAVE BEEN AT Drayton FOR 30years and in that time I have heard how good these horses are going, so why all of a sudden they say we can't co-exist. Even Gai Waterhouse just recently purchased a horse worth a hell of a lot of money from a horse stud 500 meters from a coal mine who also owns this stud .CO-EXIST SAVE 500 JOBS APROVE THE REVISED MINE PLAN IT MAKE SENSE.

We moved 1500km to live and work in Muswellbrook.. it is gorgeous place and the mines do not make it ugly after living in cq where mines are dusty dirty and an eyesore I am so impressed with how the mines have integrated into the environment. Mines will bring people jobs money something this area desperately needs.. that we need to stay here.. the mines do so much for the community grants, jobs, etc.. this town will die without it and so will many other businesses who rely on income. Please approve this expansion for the greater benefits for everyone including money to the government

Drayton south will help out the Muswellbrook community with $350000 yearly will help support well over 160 small business in the district keep 500 employees at work and considering that the hunter is at a all time low in job vacanicies we defiantly need it. We have had 2 independent equine health experts come out and have endorsed assessment of Anglos Drayton South and found that the project will have no adverse effects on the health of horses at neighbouring studs. Why can't we just all work together

Mining has supported my family, and the community I live in, for many years. The industry is far from perfect, but until renewable sources are more abundant, this industry is needed. Drayton has been willing to compromise with the other industries, however it seems they are not even willing to come to the table and negotiate. To support an industry that is based on gambling instead of an industry that supports communities and families is confusing to me. We have had to remove our family from our home town because of this, and that has been hard. I support the industry that supports the community. Mining.

This extension needs to be approved. Anglo America have done everything possible to show this project will be a success for everyone. They have been able to work next to horse studs for many years now with no impact and the extension will continue to be the same. I am quite sure if it was going to affect the horses this would have shown by now. These rich foreigner horse stud owners are just greedy. Their families have no worries in life. They are not worried what this could do to so many Australian families they are just worried what next horse race can make them some more millions. Not only will this affect the employees of drayton coal it will impact the whole community and right across the hunter valley. No jobs equals no money to spend which means other businesses, schools, trades etc will also follow hardship. It's a domino effect. My husband works at drayton coal and we have young children who rely on my husbands job. They have proven the facts now approve them as without this coal mine it will create misery and distress.

Drayton South is not about Horse Studs or Coal Companies, Its about people. People like me who work at Drayton, and 500 other people who work at Drayton. The families of these employees who rely on the approval of Drayton South to remain in the Hunter Valley. without the approval of this project many families will have to leave the Valley in seacrch of employment. the knock on effect of this project not being approved will be felt not only by the local communities, but the state and federal government due to lost royalties, lost tax etc.
In short tink about the effect that this decision will have on 500 families that have co existed with the Studs.

I strongly support this project as I believe both the mining industry and the horse industry can co exist.i manage a retail store in the Singleton area and with the mining down turn our sales have been massively effected,well over $20000 down on this time last year ,at this current rate how many of us small businesses will continue to trade?The Hunter has one of the worst unemployment rates in nsw I don't think we can afford to lose any more jobs and by co existing everyone in the hunter wins.Drayton has compromised twice on this plan proving they will work with the horse industry and the horse industry hasn't even tried to compromise and don't put nearly as much money back into the local community as the mines do if any.Also when the horse industry purchased the land they knew it was next door to drayton mine if they didn't want mining next to them why purchase there in the first place?