Maules Creek Coal Mine

please find submission in file attachment 1

I object very very strongly to this mine going ahead.
This year 2011 is International Year of the Forests & this is disrespectful to so many, in numerous ways.
The Maules Creek Coal Mine will:
Clear a total of 1,665 hectares of native bush, taking the total clearing in the Leard Forest to over 3,500 hectares.
Clear 545 hectares of the White Box Grassy Woodland endangered community, taking the total clearing of endangered communities in Leard Forest to over 1,169 hectares.
Impact on habitat for up to 36 threatened species which are known or likely to occur in Leard State Forest, including Painted Honeyeater, Koala, Turquoise Parrot and Eastern Cave Bat.
Contribute to the destruction of the largest remnant of vegetation left on the heavily cleared Liverpool Plains.
Result in a final pit depth of 320m that will cause massive depressurisation of the water table and impact on springs and unique groundwater dependent ecosystems.
Result in a final void that will permanently deplete groundwater, interfere with aquifers and divert surface water.
Make an enormous contribution to global warming amounting to at least 25 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per annum from burning the coal that is produced. This is equivalent to more than 15% of all emissions from NSW annually.
Forever change the quiet rural community of Maules Creek into a giant industrial zone with impacts on health, air quality, noise and amenity.

I wish to object strongly to Aston's proposed coal mine near Boggabri, in the Leard State Forest. This would be a massive hole in the ground, and on public land, home to endangered species such as the Painted Honeyeater, Speckled Warbler and Hooded Robin, and endangered communities (eg grassy White Box community). I am appalled at the thought of such a massive degradation of publicly-owned lands. The hole in the ground would be a visual nightmare, destroying important habitat and water resources - for private gain! We know that there are few remaining areas of natural bush or forest remaining in our landscape; to countenance the destruction of a large natural area, as Aston would like to do, is against the public good and flies in the face of our obligations to preserve endangered species and reduce our carbon pollution.

I strongly object to the proposed Maules Creek coalmine. It would use public land (a State Forest) and create an enormous hole in the ground - a visual eyesore as well as destroying habitat for endangered species such as the Speckled Warbler, Turquoise Parrot, Painted Honeyeater and Hooded Robin. It would also destroy an endangered ecological community - Grassy Box Woodland. In addition, there would be massive effects on local water tables and disruption to these, lowering our food production capacity. I strongly object to the use of public land for private gain.

11th of October, 2011

Submission to the Assessment of the Maules Creek Coal Project by the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure


Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the Maules Creek Coal Project, proposed by Aston Resources.

I object to the project on a number of grounds. Firstly, because it will involve the clearing of a further 1,665 hectares of native bush in the Leard State Forest, taking the total clearing to over 3,500 hectares. This includes 545 hectares of the White Box Grassy Woodland endangered community which would mean that a total of 1,169 hectares of endangered communities will have been cleared in the Leard State Forest if the project goes ahead. As one of the largest stands of remnant vegetation left on the heavily cleared Liverpool Plains, home to threatened species such as Koalas, Painted Honeyeaters, Turquoise Parrots and Eastern Cave bats, this area should be protected, not turned into a massive open pit with associated infrastructure.

I am also aware that the the final pit depth of 320m will have serious impacts on water resources by causing the depressurisation of the water table, permanently depleting groundwater, interfering with aquifers and diverting surface water.

I also object to the project going ahead because it will destroy the lifestyle and well being of the people of Maules Creek by turning it into an industrial zone with impacts on health, air quality, noise and amenity. The social impact of huge mining projects such as this on the mental health of rural communities by causing widespread emotional distress and social disruption is one that should be taken seriously by the NSW State Government.

Leard State Forest is a community asset that the following generations deserve to inherit undamaged and one that mining companies, shareholders and governments do not have the right to exploit, for short term profits and revenue raising. Furthermore, this coal mining project will represent an enormous contribution to global warming amounting to at least 25 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per annum from burning the coal that is produced.

Dear Stephen,

Please understand, whilst my address in Sydney we own and operate a commercial farm at Maules Creek "North Avoca".

I would like to submit an application against the proposed mine on a number of areas. Detailed below is my personal concerns and general Concerns. My personal e-mail is [email protected] and please contact me through this website.

Personal Concerns
* As a farmer within the area and in close proximity to the mine, I feel that the community and as individuals that we have in no way been consulted on the proposed mines and the effects for the surrounding areas. Our farm will be circa 6 km away from the largest coal mine in NSW and there has been no direct consultation on the effects.
* The air quality analysis was completed and based off data which is not truly representative of the climatic situations within the area and the living conditions through dust and noise will effect our way of life.
* My family has been farming within the area for 4 generations and I feel that living within the area will be duly compromised.
* Our farming future is at risk. We have the ability to subdivide our farm into lifestyle blocks and having a mine so close will render the land to baseline rangeland at best which holds severe financial cost..
* Our community is at risk. People are leaving already and the community is seeing the effects. Our community will die.
* Our agricultural produce is at risk. $25-30M pa in agricultural produce (from a small section of the area in Maules Creek) is at risk with potential fracturing of the water table connecting to Maules creek affecting stock, domestic and irrigation water. No in-depth analysis has been performed to justify if the aquifer will not be in any way harmed through the development.
* Our health is at risk. Apart form the dust etc noted below, I have clearly seen depression take it's toll on famers within the area. We do not need this mine to play a role is furthering rural suicide and depression statistics. This is the most concerning factor for me and is not being dealt with.

General Points of View.
1. There is little to no direct economic benefit to local residents and on balance the mine could be a "Net Cost" to local people.
2. The impacts to amenity, air quality, noise, groundwater, property values etc mean that there is significant direct financial cost to the local community and local farms.
3. Due to pressures on the Australian currency and domestic interest rates from the "mining boom", every new mine adds to these pressures and as such the proposed Maules Creek Coal project will indirectly impact on the viability of local farms.
4. The project will privatise profits from public land. State Royalties of approx $8 per tonne are insufficient to compensate the community for the loss of a non-renewable resource and to cover the cost and maintenance of infrastructure, GHG emissions, diesel fuel rebate etc.
Recommend: There needs to be a Net Benefit to the local community for the project to be approved.

Community and Health
1. Air quality and noise modeling in the Environmental Assessment shows that there will be an inversion layer over Maules Creek for 41% of the time generally and 69% during winter. This will be a significant factor in increasing health impacts due to fine particulates and noise to local people.
2. The local community has seen the ongoing removal of community members as farms are bought up for mining, zone of affectation and environmental offsets. De-population means that there will be less people to perform vital community functions (e.g. Bush fire Brigade) and these purchases impact on overall community viability.
3. A fly in/fly out labour force will export most of the wages benefits out of the district. Relatively few local people will meet the age, health and other requirements to work at the mine.
Recommend: Local health study to get a baseline of community health.

Best regards
Luke and Kate Kenniff
0409 992715

Alistair Todd's Submission for the Maules Creek Coal Project
Project Application Number 10-0138

Please find attached PDF containing comments from Birds Australia Southern NSW and ACT Group on Maules Creek Coal Project.

Please refer to attachment. Any further questions I can be contacted on 0428445143.

Please see attachment. Any further questions I can be contacted on 0428445143

Compiled on behalf of the Laird Family

Please see below and attached my submission to the Maules Creek Coal Project.


Dear NSW Planning Department and the Planning Assessment Commission,

I, Naomi Hogan, call on the NSW Government to reject the Maules Creek Coal Mine. The proposed action for an open cut coal mine of this scale in Leard State Forest, a known biodiversity hotspot, directly contravenes NSW Government responsibility to:

1. Properly manage timber resources under the NSW Forestry Act 1916,

2. Protect threatened species and endangered ecological communities,

3. Avoid the worst impacts of climate change by limiting the NSW greenhouse gas contribution, and

4. Follow the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

Please see below evidence to demonstrate these four points.


Properly manage timber resources under the NSW Forestry Act 1916.

Section 11(1)(a) of the Forestry Act 1916 states that Forests NSW is to have control and management of state forests and shall control and manage them in such a manner as best serves the public interest and, in so doing, may maintain and improve indigenous species of trees and may on state forests establish, maintain and improve plantations of indigenous species and exotic species of trees. The Forestry Commission is to preserve and improve, in accordance with good forestry practice, the soil resources and water catchment capabilities of Crown-timber lands and land owned by the Commission or otherwise capabilities under its control or management.

Instead, the Maules Creek Coal Project will clear 1,665 hectares of Leard State Forest, destroying the state timber resource for the private profit of Ashton Resources. Water catchment capabilities will certainly be compromised, as the project includes the digging of 320m metre deep coal pits. This will significantly impact surface water flows, depressurise the water table across kilometers of surrounding forest and agricultural land and impact unique groundwater dependent ecosystems.


Protect threatened species and endangered ecological communities.

Leard State Forest is of extremely high conservation value and should not be destroyed for open cut coal mining. It includes the most extensive and intact stands of the nationally-listed and critically endangered Box-Gum Woodland remaining on the Australian continent. Significantly, 545 hectares of forest to be cleared for the Maules Creek Coal project is Box-Gum Woodland. When combined with the other two open cut coal mines planned for the Leard Forest area, the total clearing of endangered communities in Leard Forest comes to over 1,169 hectares.

Leard State Forest is home to 396 native species of plants and animals, and known or likely habitat for 36 threatened species and several endangered ecological communities. The proposed clearing of Leard State Forest for this open cut coal mine will impact negatively on the life-cycles of these rare and threatened native species. It will lead to a substantial reduction in foraging and roosting habitat, fragmentation, edge effects, increased threats from invasive species, disruption of breeding cycles and will ultimately cause a long-term decrease in the size of the already limited populations.

Significantly, Leard State Forest is within the Liverpool Plains province of the Brigalow Belt South bioregion, a nationally recognised biodiversity hotspot. Only 2.9% of the Brigalow Belt South bioregion within NSW is included in secure protected areas, well short of the 15% protection target that is considered necessary by both national and international standards.


Avoid the worst impacts of climate change by limiting the NSW greenhouse gas contribution.

At a time when governments across the world are in agreement about the need to bring down our carbon emissions and take action to avoid dangerous climate change, this massive coal mining project is unacceptable. This project will make an enormous contribution to global warming, amounting to at least 25 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year from burning the product coal. This is equivalent to more than 15% of all emissions from NSW annually. This does not account for the lost carbon sequestration capacity of the forest.


Follow the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

ESD is a consideration under all NSW Planning decisions under the Planning Act. The principles of ESD include:

Refer attached PDF for Peter and Karan Todd's Submission into the Maules Creek Coal Project

Please find attached a submission against the Maules Creek Coal Project.

Another supporting document is also attached.

Kind regards,

Annika Dean

Please find attached the Namoi Water Submission

The preservation of sustainable resources for agriculture