HVO South Open Cut Coal Continuation Project

I object to this proposal in the strongest possible terms. As a local resident with a family history on our property spanning five generations and over 100 years, the annihilation of our local environment is entirely abhorrent. This project cannot be permitted to expand beyond its current inappropriate limits. We already endure intolerable amounts of coal dust in the air, on our roofs and in our gutters, making rainwater undrinkable and the air unsafe to breathe; the constant background noise from the mine is unrelenting, and the regular blasting shakes the house through the foundations. Approving this proposal and exposing ourselves and everything in the surrounding environment to more air, water and noise pollution would be environmentally and socially disastrous.

The effects of an expansion would have far-reaching impacts beyond our previously quiet rural location. The recent decision by the NSW Court of Appeal on the Mt Pleasant coal mine expansion found that the full contribution of downstream emissions (Scope 3) to climate change from a coal mine must be assessed, even if the fuel is burnt overseas. They found that the full environmental, social and economic impacts of climate change on a locality must be considered in making a decision on a project. This should include costs like rising insurance premiums and increasing costs of repairing roads and infrastructure after extreme weather. But the Hunter Valley Operations revised assessment specifically excludes consideration of downstream emissions in its economic assessment, and as a result it drastically underestimates the negative economic impacts of the project. The revised assessment should be withdrawn and the full assessment required by the Court of Appeal must be undertaken for the project - and it should then be placed back on public exhibition.

This is the biggest coal mine project ever considered in NSW. In total it proposed to mine 429 million tonnes of coal and extend the operation of this huge mining complex to 2045.
Overall, this coal mine expansion would add 803 million tonnes of lifecycle greenhouse gas pollution to the atmosphere between now and 2045. That equates to 7 times the total annual emissions from all sources in New South Wales. Even the direct emissions from the project, caused by releasing methane from the coal seam and from diesel used in operating the mine, will make a huge contribution to NSW emissions and make it even more difficult for NSW to meet climate targets. The NSW Large Emitters Guide states that coal mines should be on the same emissions reduction trajectory as NSW - to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030 and 70% by 2035. But this expansion does the direct opposite - it will result in massive increases in direct emissions by expanding the project. The expansion will actually double methane emissions compared to the existing mine (as at FY24) and then they will remain at elevated levels until 2042.

The proposed mine expansion will have devastating impacts on land and water in the Hunter Valley. The HVO mine complex straddles the Hunter River and the expansion intends to mine directly into strategic agricultural land and the River’s alluvial aquifer. Mining for the Continuation Project will worsen groundwater drawdown already affecting the Hunter River’s alluvial aquifer by half a metre. Cumulative drawdown of Wollombi Brook alluvium will be up to 2 metres and this impact will extend long after mining ceases.
Recent monitoring has identified that groundwater in the alluvium and other affected areas is exceeding water quality triggers in the HVO area. A large tailings storage dam adjacent to the river was found six years ago to be seeping into groundwater. Instead of expanding the mine, Glencore and Yancoal should be cleaning up the huge HVO site and investing in long-term environmental remediation of it.

Again, I most strenuously object to this proposal. The scale of destruction it would impose on the local area, and on people and environments far from the mine, are intolerable and must not be permitted in the pursuit of profit. Governments of all levels have a profound responsibility to protect the people they represent, and this proposal if permitted will cause immense harm and therefore must not be approved.

Good for the local economy and employees locals and supports the area growing and surrounding businesses. Green energy and net zero is not feasible and doesn't won't its a scam, dig that coal support the Hunter.

This project does not meet ESD principles

I support the project it offers great opportunity for employment for our family business

I support HVO South extension, I have worked at HVO for 21 years , HVO employs 1500 people onsite and supports local businesses and charities.
And pays very high royalties to Government.

The Mining and Energy Union Northern Mining and NSW Energy District (MEU) is proud to represent coal mine workers in the northern coalfields of NSW, including at the Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) complex.

We strongly support the approval of the HVO North Open Cut Coal Continuation Project (SSD-11826681) and the HVO South Open Cut Coal Continuation Project (SSD-11826621) (collectively, the Project).

The Project extends the operation of HVO’s North pit through to the end of 2045 and the South pit to the end of 2042. The extension of mining at HVO will protect approximately 1500 well-paid jobs and the economic viability of hundreds of supply chain businesses for a further two decades.

The Project is expected to deliver net economic benefit of $5.7 billion to NSW including:
• Over $2 billion in coal royalties to the NSW Government
• Over $1 billion net benefit to workers reflecting higher rates of pay in mining than other sectors
• Nearly $2 billion net benefit to NSW businesses supplying goods and services to the project.

Without approval, HVO North would close at the end of 2026, with mining at HVO South concluding in March 2030. With major closures like Mt Arthur already scheduled for 2030, the premature end of mining at HVO would compound local socioeconomic impacts in the Hunter, particularly for the communities of Muswellbrook and Singleton.

The retention of the HVO jobs through the 2030s and into the 2040s would provide a vital lifeline for the Hunter community during a period where a significant number of mining operations in the Hunter Valley are expected to close. In a broader context of structural economic change – and the projected overall reduction in coal mining activity in the Hunter – HVO’s extension would provide continuity of well-paid mining employment in the region while new industries that are planned for the Hunter as part of state and federal government reindustrialisation initiatives are under development.

HVO exports high-grade coal that supports the energy needs of our overseas trading partners. As Australia and the world transition to a lower emissions economy, mines like HVO will be relied upon to safeguard the energy security of our trading partners and deliver the revenue and regional economic activity that NSW needs to invest in new clean energy industries and fulfil its commitments to regional development and proactive industry policy.

HVO have considerably amended their original application in response to government and community concerns. The revised submission is substantially less than the original proposal, both in scale and duration. These amendments reflect a constructive and practical approach to responsible mining and demonstrate that HVO has been prepared to make significant concessions to address legitimate issues raised during the assessment process.

Key changes include:
• Reducing the project’s proposed life extension at HVO North from 2050 to 2045, and at HVO South from 2045 to 2042 – a significant shortening of the mine life compared to the original plan.
• Lowering the total amount of coal extraction, with notable reductions in overall tonnage across the life of the project.
• Avoiding extraction from higher-gas areas, thereby reducing potential safety and emissions risks.
• Reducing the annual coal extraction rate at HVO South, further limiting the intensity of mining compared to the original proposal.
• Taken together, these amendments represent a material scaling back of the project, in both its overall footprint and its operating life.

Although the MEU would support the original longer timelines seeing mining at HVO continue until 2050, we acknowledge that these amendments are well-considered, responsive to NSW Government requests and strike a balance between economic and social benefits and environmental concerns.

The HVO Continuation Project exemplifies how coal mining in the Hunter can continue responsibly, providing much needed certainty at a time of rapid change. Its approval will help maintain the energy security of our global trading partners, support ongoing well-paid jobs and regional economic activity, deliver ongoing coal royalties to fund NSW essential services and economic transformation, while also complying with national and NSW emissions-reduction requirements.

HVO has been a cornerstone of the Hunter region, providing stable jobs and supporting community initiatives. I look forward to seeing HVO continue to care for the region for many years to come.

To Continue to support my family with a secure income.
For my family to continue to live in the hunter valley where they want to live.
For my friends and their families to continue to live and work in the Hunter Valley.

I fully support the HVO Continuation Project, as it is critical to sustaining jobs and economic growth in the Hunter region and contributes significantly to the broader NSW economy through royalties and local business opportunities. The project also plays an essential role in ensuring the ongoing supply of affordable and reliable energy, which will be increasingly important post-2030 as many other operations wind down and demand for dependable baseload power remains.

I currently work at Hunter Valley Operations. The continuation project is important both my employment, our family & the hunter valley as a whole.

I write in strong support of the HVO South Open Cut Coal Continuation Project, as proposed, for the continuation of mining operations through until 2045.

This project is not a leap into new territory — it is an extension of an established operation that already plays a vital role in the local and state economy. The continuity it provides helps protect existing jobs and supports hundreds of families in the Hunter Valley region. Local contractors, service businesses, and supply chains deeply intertwined with the mine’s operations will maintain viability, rather than face abrupt disruption. The steady flow of royalties, taxes and infrastructure contributions derived from HVO’s operations also underpins public services such as roads, schools, health and emergency services throughout NSW.

In terms of environmental management, supporting this project under the conditions laid out in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) offers more certainty and control than an unplanned or piecemeal cessation. Because the mine’s footprint and infrastructure are already established, the incremental extension carries lower relative risks of new habitat clearing and land disturbance. With rigorous oversight and compliance, there is the opportunity to continue best-practice measures in rehabilitation, water management, air quality, and progressive land restoration.

From a strategic energy and export perspective, the global demand for the coal types produced at HVO—including those used in steelmaking and metallurgical processes—remains strong, and the market will source that supply somewhere. By retaining a high standard of environmental and social governance here, we can help avoid shifts of demand to jurisdictions with weaker controls and greater environmental harm.

In conclusion, the HVO South continuation project is a carefully measured proposal that balances economic, social and environmental interests. Its approval under stringent conditions would allow jobs, communities, and the regional economy to move forward with confidence, while ensuring that environmental safeguards remain in force. I urge the assessing authority to give it full and fair consideration supporting the projects approval.

I support the HVO continuation project as I would like to see strong tier one business within Australia. The project will provide good economic benefits for the local region and state of NSW. It will also invest in people's skills and knowledge through its projects providing good learnings for young engineers who are excited to learn.

I support this project as it supports many local jobs which in turn supports the community and families of the hunter. It also brings more individuals to the area which supports our local economy.
I believe if this project were to end it would be detrimental to many individuals and families as there would be loss of income and loss of business.

I object to this project. We are at a point where we need to think very carefully about the climate impact of coal mines to our society and future generations. Yet project doesn't properly assess its climate risks, ignoring legal presidents. The recent decision by the NSW Court of Appeal on the Mt Pleasant coal mine expansion found that the full contribution of downstream emissions (Scope 3) to climate change from a coal mine must be assessed, even if the fuel is burnt overseas. They found that the full environmental, social and economic impacts of climate change on a locality must be considered in making a decision on a project. This should include costs like rising insurance premiums and increasing costs of repairing roads and infrastructure after extreme weather. But the HVO revised assessment specifically EXCLUDES consideration of downstream emissions in its economic assessment, and as a result it drastically underestimates the negative economic impacts of the project. The revised assessment should be withdrawn and the full assessment required by the Court of Appeal must be undertaken for the project - and it should then be placed back on public exhibition.

Furthermore, the scale of this project goes against the NSW emission targets. This is the biggest coal mine project ever considered in NSW. This coal mine expansion would add 803 million tonnes of lifecycle greenhouse gas pollution to the atmosphere between now and 2045. That equates to 7 times the total annual emissions from all sources in New South Wales. Even the direct emissions from the project, caused by releasing methane from the coal seam and from diesel used in operating the mine, will make a huge contribution to NSW emissions and make it even more difficult for NSW to meet climate targets. The NSW Large Emitters Guide states that coal mines should be on the same emissions reduction trajectory as NSW - to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030 and 70% by 2035. But this expansion does the direct opposite - it will result in massive increases in direct emissions by expanding the project. The expansion will actually double methane emissions compared to the existing mine (as at FY24) and then they will remain at elevated levels until 2042.

I also object on economic and direct environmental grounds. The proposed mine expansion will have devastating impacts on land and water in the Hunter Valley, affecting the ecology and agricultural operations. The HVO mine complex straddles the Hunter River and the expansion intends to mine directly into strategic agricultural land and the River’s alluvial aquifer. Mining for the Continuation Project will worsen groundwater drawdown already affecting the Hunter River’s alluvial aquifer by half a metre. Cumulative drawdown of Wollombi Brook alluvium will be up to 2 metres and this impact will extend long after mining ceases. Recent monitoring has identified that groundwater in the alluvium and other affected areas is exceeding water quality triggers in the HVO area. A large tailings storage dam adjacent to the river was found six years ago to be seeping into groundwater. Instead of expanding the mine, Glencore and Yancoal should be cleaning up the huge HVO site and investing in long-term environmental remediation of it.

I support the continuation of jobs which, in turn, maintains and contributes to small towns and communities

HVO supports community projects in our local area along with jobs that economically support our local areas schools, churches and many other organisations benefit from HVO. These all will be heavily affected should this approval not be given

I support the project as it offers great opportunity for employment for our family business

I support the project as it offers great opportunity for employment for our family business

I support the project as it offers great opportunity for employment for our business

I support the project as it offers great opportunity for employment for our business