Maules Creek Continuation Project

To whom it may concern,
Please find a submission on behalf of the Maules Creek Community Council.
Kind regards
Phil

Please see attached document

Wando Conservation and Cultural Centre objects in the strongest possible terms to the project.
I ask that my name be withheld from publication

attached

Coal is the backbone of Australia’s economy, and it will still continue to play a pivotal role in our economy in the future.

I object to any further clearing of Leard State Forest as so much has already been destroyed.
This was one of the largest remnant native bush lands in the sheep/wheat belt.
This bushland is valuable habitat for Swift Parrots, koalas and many other native animals.
This is apart from any considerations of carbon emissions from the coal that would be mined.

I support the continuation of Mauls Creek Mine due to supporting local businesses and providing employment opportunities to a lot of people.

Submission: Maules Creek Continuation Project Narrabri Shire

I wish to express my support for the Maules Creek Continuation Project for the following reasons:

Local and State Employment – The project will sustain and create valuable jobs, supporting both the local workforce and broader NSW employment opportunities.

Economic Prosperity for Regional Communities – It will continue to underpin economic growth across the New England, Upper Hunter, and Central Tablelands regions, ensuring long-term viability for industries and services in these areas.

Support for Small Business – The project will enable ongoing demand for goods and services from local small businesses, which in turn drives the second- and third-tier economic benefits that strengthen local communities.

Trade Training and Skills Retention – It will help retain and develop specialist skills within the region, supporting apprenticeship programs, trade training, and the growth of a skilled local workforce.

The Maules Creek Continuation Project will deliver enduring economic, employment, and skills development benefits to the local and state economy, while supporting the sustainability of regional communities.

I object to the Maules Creek Continuation Project. New coal including the coal from this project needs to stay in the ground for a liveable district, for a safe climate and for future generations.

I object to the Maules Creek Continuation Project due to its impact to the Critically endangered box gum woodland.

Please find attached the Associations submission.

The Maules Creek Continuation Project that is proposed for 2034 is too uncertain to be approved.

Already the company is drilling outside the mine footprint and international court rulings ensure that the project will be challenged. Climate Change impacts by 2034 and demographic changes will make the project politically untenable. It is laughable to be seeking an approval for a small part of a larger project now that will manifest in 10 years time now.
The only certain thing about this project is that the proponent wants more.
I object to the groundwater impacts from this mine, particularly the water pipeline that is designed to take water out of Maules Creek to the proponents other mines based on a flawed groundwater model. I look forward to the mine justifying its conceptual modelgroundwater model

I am writing to express my support for Whitehaven Coal and their continued development of the Maules Creek Coal Project.
Whitehaven has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to responsible mining practices, environmental management, and community engagement across their operations in the region. The Maules Creek Project represents an important opportunity for ongoing economic development, local employment, and regional investment, particularly at a time when stable, long-term jobs are essential for rural and regional communities.
Whitehaven’s presence in our region has provided significant benefits, including direct employment, support for local businesses and contractors, and community funding initiatives that contribute to local schools, services, and infrastructure. Their transparent communication and willingness to engage with local residents and stakeholders are also valued aspects of their operations.
The Maules Creek Project, in continuing this legacy, is well-placed to support regional growth while maintaining the high environmental and operational standards expected by the community and regulators. It is vital that companies like Whitehaven are supported in their efforts to invest in our region and deliver secure, sustainable futures for our families and towns.
For these reasons, I strongly support the continued progress of the Maules Creek Coal Project and urge relevant authorities to consider the positive contributions Whitehaven brings to the area.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Torrens
President - Boggabri Business Chamber
Manager - Torrens Freight, Boggabri, NSW, 2382

To Whom It May Concern
Finlay Farming fully supports the Maules Creek Continuation Project.
I am a farmer that lives in the heart of the Maules Creek Community. I am the director of our family farming business, Finlay Farming PTY LTD. The following is a letter of support for the Maules Ck Continuation Project.
Our business has been closely associated with the local mining companies, and we have leased mine owned country now for 9 years. We also own property in the Maules Creek Valley.
I have lived and farmed in the Maules Ck valley for 45 years, our farming business is cattle production and cereal cropping.
We are part of the Maules Creek community and are involved in many ways of maintaining the country fabric of our community.
For example, we have been committee members and cattle donors to the Maules Ck Campdraft Club for 11 years, a yearly community event that the mines also support heavily financially.
I was a Narrabri Shire Councillor for 9 years. I am currently also a volunteer at the Narrabri Riding for Disabled Club, Wean Picnic Race committee.
I have been on the Tarrawonga CCC and the Maules Creek Environmental Trust for 12 years, Maules Creek Hall Trust for 4 years.
Involvement in the above organisations/groups enables me to have a balanced view of what is beneficial or not beneficial for the community.
Whitehaven have and will continue to invest in the local area through donations to local groups/organisations to enable them to provide services, hold functions or upgrade facilities for the community’s benefit. Without their considerable financial input, such community assets would not be at the standard they are today and would find it difficult to operate without the financial assistance from mining companies in the region.
Finlay Farming has been leasing approx 2800 Ha's of agricultural land from Whitehaven Coal for the last 9 years and this has been a successful working relationship and has enabled us to keep our 17 year old son who is passionate about agriculture in the local area. During peak times we employ labour from the local Boggabri community and items which are required to operate our farming business are sourced from Gunnedah, Boggabri, Narrabri and Bellata.
Having Whitehaven in the region has enabled many younger and older people to stay in the area through direct employment or providing services to employees or contractors of Whitehaven. Having Whitehaven in the region has allowed many business’s to continue operating when agriculture has a downturn in production such as drought.
Finlay Farming fully supports the Maules Creek Continuation Project due to all the above reasons.
Kind regards
Lloyd Finlay-Director – Finlay Farming PTYLTD

Please refer to attached submission

30 July 2025

Reference: Maules Creek Coal Mine Project Continuation – Letter of Support
To: NSW Government - Major Projects,

My name is ------------, and I am a mining executive with over 30 years of global experience across a range of commodities including iron ore, copper, coal, gold, silver, and uranium. Throughout my career, I have held senior leadership roles across various jurisdictions, including South America, Papua New Guinea, and Australia.

I am writing to express my strong support for the proposed Maules Creek Mine Continuation Project. I respectfully urge the Commission to consider the significant long-term benefits this project will deliver to the region, as well as to the broader New South Wales community.

After a 27-year career with BHP, I joined Whitehaven Coal in 2019, which led me to relocate to the Gunnedah and Narrabri region. Since then, I have experienced firsthand the positive socio-economic impact of Whitehaven’s investment in regional NSW, particularly through its Maules Creek operations.

The continuation of the Maules Creek Mine is critical not only for maintaining current employment levels but also for creating future economic opportunities across the local and regional communities. A project of this scale supports hundreds of direct and indirect jobs, strengthens local businesses, and underpins essential public services.

In FY24 alone, over $200 million was spent with businesses operating in Northwest NSW, and the Maules Creek Coal Mine contributed approximately $168 million in royalties to the NSW Government, funds that help support schools, hospitals, infrastructure, and other essential services. The proposed continuation would extend the mine’s life by an additional 10 years, secure approximately 940 ongoing jobs (with around 70% of employees locally based), and provide meaningful employment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who currently represent approximately 14% of the workforce. In FY24, the mine also contributed approximately $160 million in wages to its workforce.

In an increasingly uncertain global economic climate, the continuation of the Maules Creek Coal Mine will help build a more resilient and diversified regional economy and ensure long-term prosperity for the community.

Thank you for considering this submission.

Whitehaven Coal have a terrible record of non-compliance. They have been found guity or investigated at least 35 times to be in breach of the the law and have been prosecuted.
The Swift Parrot is endangered and Whitehaven Coal propose to clear over 500 hectares of their foraging habitat, which will push the Swift Parrot closer to extinction. It must not be permitted.
The project will also clear a huge chunk of the Leard State Forest. This would mean that 46% of native forests in New South Wales will be cleared for 3 coal mines! Disgusting!
A project that would not start until 2034 should not be granted permission so early. Nine years! Ridiculous! Locking in greenhouse emissions must not happen. It is irresponsible.
The project puts at risk the local water resources and Maules Creek. The expansion will harm the local farming community at Maules Creek and cause negative social impacts. Dangerous dust pollution, already occuring, and more noise pollution
will have local people leaving the district.