Maxwell Underground Coal Mine Project

Denman Junior Cricket Association would like to support the Maxwell Underground Coal Mine Project as Malabar Coal supports our local junior cricket club by providing sponsorship to the club, ensuring our players have essential playing equipment and uniforms. We are proud to have Malabar Coal as a Gold sponsor for 2 years. Malabar Coal provides essential financial support to our club and willingly gives back to the community of Denman. Malabar Coal has also provided each player with drink bottles and sun screen making sure that our junior players are well hydrated and are sunsafe - they are looking out for our wellbeing as well. Denman Junior Cricket is only a small club and being able to play cricket (boys and girls) provides a social outlet for children and parents alike which without the support of Malabar Coal would not be possible.

I am writing to lodge my support for Malabar Coal’s Maxwell Underground Project.

Please refer to the attached letter of support for my comments

Please see attached Letter

Regards Andrew Forbes

I would like to provide general feedback regarding the Maxwell underground project.

At this time, the commencement of new coal mining operations is no longer in line with the preservation of society and a safe climate in which human civilization can survive.
This is abundantly clear in the many many reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and many others besides. It is also not in line with the Paris Agreement, to which Australia is a signatory. The global movement towards decarbonisation is only going to accelerate, and this mine will likely end up as a stranded asset.
This mine should therefore not proceed.

I would like to support this proposal as the EIS demonstrate the benefits of an underground coal mining. An underground mine would not intrude on the landscape and would not be visible an not impact neighbouring communities including the equine and viticulture industries.

This project will generate significant community, economic and social benefit for local households, suppliers, and the state more broadly:
• Maxwell will deliver long-term jobs into the region and many more indirect jobs. This will benefit the local economy, keeping families and jobs in the region.
• These jobs will generate millions in wages into the local economy each year.
• Maxwell will generate millions of dollars annually in export income for NSW.
• Maxwell will generate royalties for the people of NSW the initial term of the mine providing funds for regional infrastructure projects.
• During the construction phase and once mining begins, the project will support local businesses and suppliers.

Thanks

Simon Collins

This project represents a good compromise between mining and the equine industries of the Hunter Valley. Both industries can coexist if they are willing to work together for the betterment of the region. The Maxwell Project signals the company's commitment to work with their neighbours so mining, agriculture, horse breeding, tourism, etc can all continue to thrive in the region.

I Support the Maxwell Coal Project

A good, low impact proposal for the Hunter Valley, creating good jobs and state income.

I would like to voice my strong support for the Maxwell Project.

My family (grandfather, father, brothers (2), husband and son have all worked in Hunter Valley coal mines during their working lives. This project will supplement other Hunter Valley mines providing much needed jobs for the region, both direct and indirect. Local families and businesses will directly benefit from the estimated $55 million in wages from the project.

As a resident of Singleton I am aware of the financial support and goodwill provided by the mining companies to local schools, sports clubs, etc.

The benefits of the generation of $700 million per year in export income for NSW providing substantial royalties for the NSW State Government over the lifetime of the mine cannot be understated.

For nearly 220 years, coal has provided incomes for Australian families and wealth to our nation. May it continue to do so with the assistance of the Maxwell Project.

Susan Pickersgill
15 Grey Gum Rd,
Denman NSW 2328

NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
GPO Box 39, Sydney NSW 2001
Date 10/09/2019

To Whom It May Concern

Re: Maxwell Underground Coal Mine Project. SSD-9526

I am writing to lodge my support for Malabar Coal’s Maxwell Underground Project

My name is Susan Pickersgill and I am the Editor of the Denman News, which is the local paper in Denman.
I have been employed at the Denman News for the past thirteen years
I have lived in Denman for twenty-two years and have raised my family here.
I am currently a member of the Spur Hill CCC

My husband has been employed at Mangoola Coal for the past 10 years.
I have three children who live and work in Denman and surrounds.

My eldest daughter Amy has completed an Environmental Science Degree at UNE in Armidale along with her sister Laura who completed a double degree in Mathematics and Education.
Our son Thomas is currently completing his Electrical Apprenticeship.

All three of our children attended local public schools and have gained employment easily in our small country town, where job security, education and investment make our community strong and vibrant.

The drought in the Upper Hunter has been crippling over the past couple of years, and without the injection of the mining industry, our small town would be on its knees.

The economic benefits of Malabar Coal’s Maxwell Underground Project will be immense for Denman and the surrounding towns, and the small and large businesses that will be contracted over the mine life.

The long-term outcome - Jobs for future generations without the impacts of an open cut mine.

I have read Malabar Coals Maxwell Project Environmental Impact Statement and was very impressed with their strong stance on environmental planning.

I am also very interested and excited to hear that Malabar are investing in a Solar farm on their rehabilitated land. If approved, this could provide additional power directly to the grid, or help to power local businesses and homes.

This is a great indicator of forward thinking and planning, and shows that the company is open to different ideas that can benefit our community.

This is a very sensible project that has been designed so our community can enjoy a much-needed economic boost without negatively impacting other local industries and land users.

I support the project because it will deliver important benefits for the local community and NSW.
These benefits will make a substantial long-term difference to the communities in the Upper Hunter.

Our community needs a diverse economy and the Maxwell Underground Project can help make sure our economy prospers for decades to come.


Regards,


Susan Pickersgill

My Support letter is attached. Many thanks

I support Malabar Coal’s Maxwell Underground Project.
The mining industry has supported my immediate family for as long as I can remember. My dad was a miner, my husband is a miner, my brother-in-law is a miner. I currently work part-time for Malabar Coal on their Maxwell Infrastructure site in an admin role, therefore I too am a miner. I have two young sons, one who wants to be a miner and the other a builder. The mining industry does not only employ operators, mining provides employment opportunities for many people in different fields including tradesman. It is a known fact that trade skills are on the decline. We need to support businesses and industries that will support trades. By approving this project, I believe it will be an opportunity for many people to enter the mining industry as well as providing a place of employment for many future trainees and apprentices wanting a trade. We need to create and support opportunities for our children, this project is an opportunity, we should support it.

I am writing to offer my support for Malabar Coal’s Maxwell Underground Project.
I have read with interest the EIS executive summary and am reassured that Malabar Coal is continuing to maintain its policy of underground mining and thereby limiting exposure of resource harvesting activity on agricultural activities of the land it owns and the surrounding rural neighbourhood.
My connection with Malabar has been longstanding, having been engaged to advise and implement the proactive rural land use of property it has acquired.
Over past years Malabar management have been keen to ensure its agricultural land have continued to be utilized as it has been under previous ownership and undertaken a policy of improvement and upgrade. This has been particularly evident with the Merton Vineyard which now produces highly sought after fresh fruit and award winning wine varieties.
Importantly, Malabar’s acquisition of the grazing and farming land which forms part of the current Maxwell Project proposal has a longstanding pastoral history and Malabar’s underground proposal will allow this history to continue.
I am encouraged to know that Malabar’s management philosophy is to not only maintain the agricultural integrity of the land it controls but also allow its potential to be enhanced by improved grazing & farming methods.
It seems to me that the proposed underground mining will allow the rural land use activities to be continued & flourish in keeping with the existing rural neighbourhood.
I commend this proposal to your department and am confident in the proponent’s intent to enhance the economic positives coming from the mining activity and that it can and will coexist with the current rural enterprises in the same area.

This mine competes with well-established industries in the area. The water consumption for coal mining is too high to be allowed.

Carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have passed 410 ppm. This is not the time to be opening more coal mines.

I am writing to lodge my support for Malabar Coal’s Maxwell Underground Project. This is obviously a well thought through project, designed to minimise impacts on the community and co-exist with other industries in the local area.

I am fully supportive of the underground Maxwell project as it will help with maintaining reliable baseload power after several Coal Mines around the country have closed in recent times . Being underground it will have very minimal negative affects on the local area but will have substantial benefits like over 350 local jobs , 55 million dollars in local wages and over 1 billion dollars in royalties going to the government to support the maintenance of hospitals and schools etc . I believe as the last election showed the local community are generally in agreement for this mine as will be very good for local employment .

I support the project because it will deliver important benefits for the local community, NSW and Australia.
In Australia's current economic climate we need to produce a guaranteed future for the next generation of Australians.
With the loss of Australia's manufacturing industry base and others with the jobs that have gone offshore.
It is essential that Australia use it's advantage of natural resources to benefit all Australians now and in the future.
This mine will support the local community with direct income for employees and contractors and assist state and federal governments with indirect and direct tax's.
Maxwell Project at Malabar will help ensure a viable economic future for us and our children.
We need developments like this to produce the wealth we need to support the Australian economy into the future.

Please see attachment for my supporting letter.

I would like to support the Maxwell Mine project, as mining is an integral part of sustaining the country, state and especially the local economy.
I have been involved in mining for over 20years and 4 years ago I relocated my family from Maitland to Muswellbrook because of mining.
The support local mining company's give to the local communities is second to none.
Thousands of people and businesses rely on mining to survive and should mining cease to exist so would the town of Muswellbrook.
My wife owns a business in Muswellbrook which also rely on the mining industry to survive and should it cease to exist we would forced to leave the area to search for work.
The improvements mining company's are making to mining techniques and rehabilitation has shown that mining needs to stay apart of the countries economy.
Ready through the Maxwell project document I feel they will also do the right things for the local area and the environment.