State Significant Development
Glendell Continued Operations Project
Singleton Shire
Current Status: Determination
Interact with the stages for their names
- SEARs
- Prepare EIS
- Exhibition
- Collate Submissions
- Response to Submissions
- Assessment
- Recommendation
- Determination
Extension of mining including extraction of an additional 140 million tonnes of ROM coal until 2044 at an increased rate of 10 million tonnes per annum.
Attachments & Resources
Notice of Exhibition (1)
Request for SEARs (1)
SEARs (6)
EIS (33)
Response to Submissions (3)
IESC (4)
Agency Advice (15)
Additional Information (29)
Recommendation (3)
Determination (3)
Approved Documents
There are no post approval documents available
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
Want to lodge a compliance complaint about this project?
Make a ComplaintEnforcements
There are no enforcements for this project.
Inspections
24/11/2021
Note: Only enforcements and inspections undertaken by the Department from March 2020 will be shown above.
Submissions
Melanie Jackson
Object
Melanie Jackson
Message
Geoff Trescott
Support
Geoff Trescott
Message
The number of jobs associated with mining in the Valley are legion because of all the peripheral enterprises ( providing employment) . Miners, plus associated industries adds up to a LOT of people who vote.
The Government sticks its hand out for obscene amounts in Royalties, which I’m sure it’s unwilling to forego. Is it going to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs??!
The flavour of the times, or should I say hysteria, is “climate change”. Carbon dioxide does NOT control the climate. We have at present, increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, but NO corresponding global temperature increase. Is this not a “ No Brainer”??!
With ‘climate change’/ ’global warming’ having become SO political, the motivations for making this hypothesis stick, have become desperate among the elite who are continually promoting the so-called ‘catastrophes ’ we’ll all face, in the face of flimsy and often fabricated ‘evidence’.
Your duty is not to listen exclusively to alarmists with their nonsensical messages of doom, but to look at REALITIES as they are, and to weigh this against the hysteria as the climate change proponents try desperately to make their misguided agenda get a foothold.
The Glendell Continuation project is just that; a continuation of a mine that has operated for over two decades with little or no detriment to the environment. but with a massive contribution to employment, export. dollars and the above-mentioned Royalties.
Coal is NOT the demon it is painted to be.
A much bigger fear will be the gross inefficiency of ‘wind farms’ and ‘solar farms’ if they were ever to supplant coal as primary sources of energy.
The Ravensworth North project seven years ago and the Bulga Optimisation projects of more recent times went ahead to great advantage to employment, our export dollar, the government’s coffers due to Royalties and to the social cohesion of many mining towns and communities.
Don’t be the agency that sounded the death knell for mining ( not only in the Hunter) on a concept based-on pseudo science, misinformation, disinformation, hysteria, fabrication, myths and lies.
Stand UP for NSW ( and by association, for mining in our sister States ) for employment, for prosperity, for good econmomic management, and for common sense.
Thank you for this opportunity to contribute.
Regards, Geoff Trescott.
Department of Environment and Energy
Comment
Department of Environment and Energy
Message
The Department has reviewed EIS documents to ensure protected matters identified through the referral decision are being considered. The Department has not undertaken a merit based assessment and has no comments at this time as the project is being assessed under accredited assessment through NSW.
Thanks again
Andy
Division of Resources & Geoscience
Support
Division of Resources & Geoscience
Message
Attachments
Doctors for the Environment Australia
Object
Doctors for the Environment Australia
Message
Attachments
Jody Derrick
Support
Jody Derrick
Message
I attended the Broke Public School, then completed High School in Singleton.
I moved away, met my husband and returned to start our family of three boys.
My husband & I now have 2 houses in the village of Broke, one is our residents the other is weekend accommodation. My Husband & I run a transport business in Singleton employing around 20 staff supplying the local mining industry.
I have witnessed many changes to the village of Broke, its great to see so many young families returning to Broke, its also great to see the increase in tourism and to see tourism & mining coexisting.
The thing we do lack in the Village is a town centre, a place for locals to meet for a coffee & a chat, a place for our tourist to see what Broke has to offer & a place to give us that little village feel.
Currently we have to go to Singleton or Pokolbin for this.
Ravensworth House would be our ideal Village Centre.
Broke has a wonderful historic story to be told, usually it can be seen in the buildings of the village, we have a few historic buildings however most were lost due to being constructed of timber.
The materials Ravensworth House are made from will fit in with our other historic buildings, 2 x churches, Broke Public School building & the old police station. It will give the feeling that is has always been in Broke.
The project is a definite yes from me & my husband.
Name Withheld
Support
Name Withheld
Message
Robert Stanley
Support
Robert Stanley
Message
Lorraine Davies
Object
Lorraine Davies
Message
Given the current fire crisis, and the unpredicatable weather events, from fire storms, hail storms, dust storms, and the continuing drought, New South Wales has to start taking emission reductions seriously, at start to address climate change. This project is not consistent with the principle of inter-generational equity nor the public interest, as it clearly assumes a failure to meet Paris Agreement goals and a worsening of climate change impacts.
The project will have a negative impact on scarce water resources, and exacerbate air pollution problems .. which have already been increased this summer by fire smoke.
The groundwater assessment shows a cumulative draw down of over 2 metres in the alluvium during the proposed mining operations.
The EIS uses a low pollution year, 2014, as its base year, setting background air pollution levels at less than half of the pollution concentrations experienced recently in the vicinity. Nevertheless, the assessment shows intensification of PM2.5 and PM10 air pollution in Camberwell and surrounding areas. The project will result in 230.8 million tonnes of greenhouse gases over the life of the project, in addition to the greenhouse gas pollution from the rest of the Mount Owen complex. The assessment admits that the project is consistent with the IPCC’s “high emissions A2 emission trajectory scenario", projected to result in warming by approximately 3.4C by 2100. As the greenhouse assessment outlines, this scenario is associated with more hot days and severe fire danger.
On the basis of these factors alone, I look forward to the project proposal being rejected.
stewart ewen
Comment
stewart ewen
Message
Simon Morgan
Object
Simon Morgan
Message
Like everyone else in Australia, and increasingly around the world, I have spent the past couple of months in horrified disbelief at the scale of the bushfire emergency. The loss of life, devastation of ecosystems, decimation of wildlife and destruction of property are genuinely beyond comprehension. I am deeply saddened and increasingly frightened about the future.
I am informed that, if approved, this project would result in an extra 135 mt of coal being removed. There is a clear and evidence-based connection between burning of coal, global heating and worsening of bush fire frequency and intensity. For this reason alone, it is unconscionable to even consider expanding coal mining. We must urgently stop burning fossil fuels and move to a renewable energy economy.
There are many other reasons for which this project must not proceed, including human health. The Hunter Valley has some of the worst air quality in NSW, largely attributable to coal mining. Air pollution from coal dust causes respiratory disease, including lung cancer, and will directly impact on the communities of Camberwell and SIngleton Heights. Previous dust control programs have been shown to be ineffective.
Furthermore, the mine’s groundwater assessment shows that there will be a negative impact on surface water.
I urge you not to allow the project to proceed.
Yours sincerely
Dr Simon Morgan, Newcastle
Name Withheld
Support
Name Withheld
Message
I think the hunter valley would die without the mining industry.
Richard Owens
Comment
Richard Owens
Message
The Broke proposal is ideally located centrally between Wollombi and Bulga with a rich Indigenous history between the Awabakal, Worimi, Grfinghi and Kamilaroi tribes.
Historically it has treasures such as Biame rock paintings at Milbrodale (5 kms from the site), Yellow Rock (right above the proposed site for the centre), Corroboree grounds and nearby Mt. Yengo with its fabulous rock paintings. The aborigines who lived in and around the flats and mountains of Broke and Bulga must have had a great love for artistic as well as ceremonial activity.
Historically, the first explorers reached the Broke area in 1818. John Blaxland received a land grant for discovering the route from Sydney to the Hunter which in the late 1800's became the main highway to Sydney via Windsor. The proposed site for the relocated homestead lies along the road at Broke township.
The strong community of Broke have proven time and again their united spirit for being progressive yet defending their rights, in a balanced way, against outright commercial undertakings such as coal seam methane gas. They have provided leadership in the wine and tourism industries in several undertakings through people such as Stewart Ewen OAM and Andrew Margan.
As a community we funded the erection of a fire shed for the RFS at Broke and provided CB radios for the fire fighters to communicate when mobile phones did not operate.
I could not speak highly enough in recommending this project. It is funded and 'shovel ready' to go, as one would expect by the proposers.
Name Withheld
Support
Name Withheld
Message
Alexa Stuart
Object
Alexa Stuart
Message
The Glendell Continuation Project will result in 230.8 million tonnes of greenhouse gases over the life of the project, which is in addition to the greenhouse pollution from the rest of the Mount Owen complex, these emissions will exacerbate climate change. The assessment admits that the project is consistent with the IPCC’s “high emissions A2 emission trajectory scenario.” This is a shocking admission and all the more shocking that it did not prompt the company to withdraw the proposal. The A2 scenario is projected to result in warming by approximately 3.4C by 2100. As the greenhouse assessment outlines, this scenario is associated with increased maximum temperatures, hot days and severe fire danger days.
This project is not consistent with NSW’s climate change policy, the principle of inter-generational equity nor the public interest, as it clearly assumes failure to meet the Paris Agreement temperature goals and worsening climate change impacts for New South Wales.
Allan Davies
Support
Allan Davies
Message
in relation to the Glendell Project i would like to make the following comments:
• Mining is important to my family, my community and the State
• This project will not require any new infrastructure and will occur on land owned by Glencore
• The project will continue providing employment to 690 mining families in the Hunter
• The local community needs the benefits this project will bring, with more than 70% of employees living nearby
• Small businesses will benefit from spending
• Without the $296.1m in royalties essential services and infrastructure like nurses, teachers, police and roads will not be available and the whole state of NSW and Australia will be worse off
Regards
Allan Davies
Janet Murray
Object
Janet Murray
Message
Attachments
Louise Ihlein
Object
Louise Ihlein
Message
The science is in and you know it. Please for the good of humanity ditch this project and transition your workers to a new job . It can be done. People before profit.
Michael Fenech
Object
Michael Fenech
Message
I object to this project to extend coal mining. Instead of reducing emmisions this will add to the total emmisions worldwide. Just because the coal might not be burned in Australia it does not mean we are not responsible for these emmisions morally if not legaly. Even worse we and future generations will suffer from these emmisions. No amount of planning by this mining company to mitigate the enviromental disadvantages of this project will negate the emmisions released by the burning of this coal. Leave it in the ground, the only safe place for coal.
Kind Regards
Michael Fenech
Claire Cupitt
Object
Claire Cupitt
Message
We need to focus our attention on creating jobs in recycling and renewable energy businesses.
And specifically in relation to Glendell:
Hunter Valley has the worst PM10 air pollution in NSW, and the National Pollutant
Inventory shows that 95.4% of the PM10 in the Hunter comes from coal mining.
● The dust control programs currently implemented by the mines do not work, and Glendell
would be no better.
● PM10 air pollution causes respiratory disease, including lung cancer, so is a public health
burden for communities of Camberwell and Singleton Heights. The scheduled closure of
Glendell in 2024 when the current approval expires will bring a welcome reduction in air
pollution exposure.
● What was in the public interest in 2008 when the current mining started is different to what
is in the public interest now that we are feeling the effects of unmitigated climate change.
This mine is no longer beneficial to the Australian community.
● Coal mining has lost its social license and must be phased out.
● This project further extends mining in a heavily-mined area, exacerbating air pollution and
water loss.
● The mine’s groundwater assessment shows that dramatic drawdown of the coal seam under
the Bowman’s Creek alluvium propagates upward into the alluvium and causes drawdown
and loss of surface water.
● This adds to stress already being experienced in the area from other mines, and the
groundwater assessment also shows cumulative draw down of over 2 metres in the alluvium
during the proposed mining operations.
● The mine assessment admits that most air quality monitoring sites in the vicinity of Glendell
Mine have experienced at least one day above the national standards for PM10 particulate
pollution in the past seven years and some exceeded annual average thresholds in the last
two years. Camberwell and Singleton also exceeded the PM2.5 criterion last year.
● But the EIS uses a low pollution year, 2014, as its base year, setting background air pollution
levels at less than half of the pollution concentrations experienced in the vicinity more
recently. Nevertheless, the assessment shows intensification of PM2.5 and PM10 air
pollution in Camberwell and surrounding areas.
● The Glendell Continuation Project will result in 230.8 million tonnes of greenhouse gases
over the life of the project. This is in addition to the greenhouse pollution from the rest of
the Mount Owen complex.
This further expansion would extract an additional an additional 135 million tonnes (Mt) of run-of-mine (ROM) coal and more than double the rate of extraction at the Glendell pit from 4.5mtpa to 10mtpa. The reasons not to do this are vastly more compelling than possible short term gains to the workers and investors. It is certainly likely to be damaging to the community, the country and the world.
Thank you for considering this objection.
Yours sincerely, Claire Cupitt