Mod 10 - Extension of time

To Whom It May Concern,

I support the application of Rixs Creek Modification 10. I work for
the Bloomfield Group and am the sole provider for my family (wife and
three children). This application to extend the life of Rixs Creek
Mine for 9 months will allow time for the concurrent state significant
development application to be processed and continue the operation of
Rixs Creek Mine until that is determined.

Operations continue within the current footprint which would need to
be rehabilitated in any case.

Again, I support this application based on its merits and the
continued employment of a stable workforce ongoing.

Regards,
Luke

To whom it may concern,

I support the application for mod 10. The extension is for 9 months
and lies entirely in the existing footprint.


This mod 10 Will enable the continuation of currently approved mining
activities while any ongoing assessment of the Rix's Creek
Continuation Project is undertaken.

Allowing this mod 10 to proceed will ensure continuity of employment
for the entirety of the existing workforce at Rix's Creek Mine during
the assessment and determination period.

As the primary provider for my wife and 2 young children , combined
with my strong belief that Rixs Creek are good corporate citizens I
fully support this Mod 10 proposal.

Hunter Land Management is a local employer of 10 staff and has Rixs Creek
Mine has a major client. Our staff rely on the ongoing operation of
the mine to maintain staff in full time positions and therefore fully
support the submission.

Dear Commissioners,

The Rix's creek South modification is not in the interest of the
people of NSW.
2018 data from the EPA has shown that the air quality in the Hunter
Valley is above the agreed NEPM levels. any proposal that involves an
increase in emissions will worsen air quality. there is no room for
more emissions.
The recent Rocky Hill judgement has stated that greenhouse gas
emissions from the product (ie the coal mined) needs to be taken into
account due to its impact on climate change. There is no room for an
increase in greenhouse emissions if we are to meet the Paris
agreement. Consequently, it is not possible to approve this mine
extension.
This mine will result in an increase in emissions which will worsen
the health of the population. It is not in the interest of the
population and should be rejected.

I'm writing to provide my support for this extension. I've worked for the
group for more than five years and I look after administration and
events. Every day I see just how much our business cares about the
Hunter, its past and present employees and how far reaching its
support is. I am proud to be a part of this business.

As I covered in my previous submissions I also strongly support the
Rix's Creek Mine - Continuation of Mining Project (SSD 6300).

An extension to the current approval at Rix's Creek South is a reasonable
request as a contingency for a company that continually shows it's
willingness to be a responsible member of the community. The company
shows great environmental stewardship and provides employment to a
significant number of people in the Hunter region.

The modification is only for 9 months, does not change the extraction
footprint and allows for continuity of currently approved mining
activities during the assessment of the continuity project.

I support the Rix's Creek 'extension of time' application.
Rix's Creek has been, and currently is an environmentally responsible
company as well as an active supporter of the local communities and
businesses.
The application is only for a 9 month period and will enable Rix's
Creek to continue to operate within its current approvals (ie will NOT
change the existing approved extraction footprint, production rate or
mining methods), and will allow the continued employment for the
existing workforce and well as continued support for local communities
and businesses.

I am writing to provide my support for the Rix's Creek South MOD_10
Application.
The Bloomfield Group underpinned by the Rix's Creek Mine plays an
important role in the Singleton community, and more broadly the
Newcastle and Hunter Valley regions. Rix's Creek Mine operates
responsibly and within its consent conditions to provide thermal coal
and coking coal to its long term customers in Asia, while providing
important job opportunities to local residents and supporting many
local business. The approval of this application will ensure the Rix's
Creek Mine is able to continue to operate under current consent
conditions till 24 March 2020 allowing time for the continued
assessment and determination of Rix's Creek Mine - Continuation of
Mining Project.

We are s small business, employing 5 local Singleton people and provide
rural contracting services to the Rixs Creek North and South Mines.
The mine provides us with regular work which certainly boosts the
irregular nature of work in the rural sector, particularly in drought
conditions as we have at the moment.
As a small business it would be very difficult to maintain the
employees that we now have if continuity of work at Rixs Creek Mines
was interupted for several months and this is why we strongly support
the submission RCS Modification 10.
Many oither small businesses would be affected in the same way, the
flow on affects would be very difficult.
Nine months may not seem like a long time, but for us it would be
impossible to maintain our current employees without the regular work
provided by the mine and although every attampt would be made to
secure other work, it is difficult in the Hunter Valley where most
mines already have their preferred contractors and tend to keep them
on board when they have all the training, inductions, pit licenses
required for that particular site..
We strongly encourage the approval of the nine month extension so that
regular work can continue for not only the mine employees but all the
other busineese that provide services to the mine.

I support the Rix's Creek South extension of time proposal. Rix's Creek
has been successfully operating since the early 1990's in the Lower
Hunter community. During this time this Australian company has been a
great community citizen whilst also supporting many local businesses
and providing employment for many local people.
Therefore I see no reason why the Rix's Creek South operation should
not continue to operate.

On behalf of Fluren Pty Ltd I wish to register our support for the
continuation of mining at Rix's Creek.

Fluren is a family owned local contracting company that provides
operational and environmental services to the mining industry
including Rix's Creek. Over the past 10 years Fluren has built a
strong working relationship with the Bloomfield Group and we believe a
decision to reject this application will have a direct impact on the
long term job security of Fluren employees in the local area as well
as the employees that work at Rix's Creek.

As a business we rely on the coal industry to support our employees
and, in turn, our employees rely on us to provide long term job
security for them and their families.

Fluren supports Bloomfield Group in their bid to have the Extension
Project approved and we believe a decision in the affirmative will not
only benefit Rix's Creek & Fluren, but it will boost local employment
opportunities and the economy in the Hunter Valley region.

I strongly object to Rix's Creek South Modification 10 - extension of
time (DA 49/94)

The Rix's Creek approval had a June 24 2019 deadline and runs out at
this time. The mine should be nearing completion of rehabilitation and
final landform instead of asking for an extension.
Closure plan should be in place from 24 March 2019.
The owners, Bloomfield, submitted an application for a mine extension
in 2014 to mine until 2038. In the meantime they open cut nearly 100
ha outside the area approved for mining. None of this area has been
assessed for environmental impact. In 2017 DPE took them to the Land &
Environment Court for illegal land disturbance. The only outcome for
this serious breach was a requirement for the company to find a
biodiversity offset.
The modification application provides no information about where
mining operations are still occurring on the mine site or what area
will be disturbed during the ensuing months.
There is no explanation provided either about where the mining will
continue when it should now be completed ....and they are fully
expecting an approval of the extension?
This application for an extension must be rejected.

I strongly object to the Rix's Creek South Modification 10 - extension of
time (DA 49/94)

The Rix's Creek open cut coal mine current approval runs out on 24
June 2019. Under this approval the mine should be nearing completion
of rehabilitation and final landform. A closure plan should be in
place from 24 March 2019.
In 2017 DPE took them to the Land & Environment Court for illegal land
disturbance. The outcome was a requirement to find a biodiversity
offset. There was no other penalty for this breach of the Mining Act
and EP&A Act.
No information has been supplied by Bloomfield about the volume of
coal being produced and further, greenhouse gas emissions from another
9 months mining have not been assessed.
An updated assessment of air quality impacts for the entire mine site
is required under the new EPA 2016 guidelines and new NEPM standard.
This modification is totally unacceptable. It cannot be even
considered while the DPE is still waiting for more information to
complete a final assessment report.
Modification 10 is an application to extend the life of the mine until
March 2020 and yet there is not even an explanation provided about
where the mining will continue for another 6 months when it should now
be completed.
I object that Mod 10 was put on exhibition by DPE for 2 weeks during
the NSW Government
caretaker period leading up to the state election and call for any
extension of time to be rejected.
This process has become a farce.

I object to Rix's Creek South Modification 10 - (DA 49/94)
The illegal land disturbance in 2017 by this mine and the ensuing
court appearance only resulted in the requirement to find a
biodiversity offset. There was no other penalty for this serious
breach of the Mining Act and EP&A Act.
The Rix's Creek open cut coal mine current approval runs out on 24
June 2019. Under this approval the mine should be nearing completion
of rehabilitation and final landform. A closure plan should be in
place from 24 March 2019.
There is a lot of missing information not supplied by Bloomfield about
the volume of coal being produced and further greenhouse gas
emissions. The effects of an extra 9 months of mining have not been
assessed and an updated assessment of air quality impacts for the
entire mine site is required under the new EPA 2016 guidelines and new
NEPM standard.
This modification is totally unacceptable. It cannot be even
considered while the DPE is still waiting for the requirement to find
a biodiversity offset.
The DPE is still waiting for more information to complete a final
assessment report.
There is no explanation provided about where the mining will continue
for another 6 months when it should now be completed.
I object to Rix's Creek Mod 10 extension of time.
The obvious inadequacies of the application and history of serious
breaches smell of an arrogance that just assumes that Rix's Creek Mod
10 will be approved anyway even without proper protocol.

I fully support the application by Rix's Creek for an extension of time
in the assessment for the continuation of Mine Project. I have worked
for The Bloomfield Group for over 10 years and have always been proud
to be an employee of the company. I know The Bloomfield Group to be a
great contributor to the communities of Singleton and the Hunter and a
socially and environmentally responsible operator.

I believe operations should be allowed to continue while the approval
process for the Rix's Creek Mine - Continuation of Mining Project is
finalised as the impact of ceasing operations on the hundreds of
employees directly and indirectly reliant on Rix's Creek would be
substantial and would not only affect them but their families and the
broader community.

Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission to this application.

The Bloomfield Group is seeking an extension of time on a mining
approval from 1995 that expires in June 2019. In 2014 the proponent
submitted an application to extend mining until 2038, nearly doubling
current extraction rates to 4.5mtpa. Since making this application the
company has mined 96 hectares of land outside of the approved area,
none of which was subject to environmental impact assessment. A 2017
Land and Environment Court decision subsequently found Bloomfield to
be in breach of the Mining and Environmental Planning and & Assessment
Acts and required the company under a consent order to offsets the
illegal land disturbance.

At this stage of the current approval the proponent should be
completing rehabilitation and final landform and have a mine closure
plan in place. At short notice the Statement of Environmental Effects
seeks further mining until March 2020 without explanation of where
this will take place and appears to assume approval of its major
expansion project, despite the department still waiting upon further
information to complete its final assessment report. Most of the
additional information that has been provided to date relates to lack
of compliance with the existing approval.

My concerns are that the proponent is gaming the process having
already failed to comply with basic conditions of the original
approval. The mine is still operating in breach of its consent
conditions.

Ongoing mining of an unknown quantity of coal will take place in an
unknown area at a location in the Hunter Valley where dust pollution
is at its highest and when further information is being sought from
the proponent after submissions by NSW Health. An updated assessment
of air quality impacts for the entire mine site is required under the
new EPA 2016 guidelines and NEPM standard.

The lack of information about where another 12 months of mining will
take place is concerning when the proponent acknowledges in its 2014
assessment report that it is taking place in, "a complex
rural-suburban noise environment". The communities of Camberwell and
Maison Dieu have already suffered considerable impacts from noise and
dust.

In addition, an assessment of greenhouse gas emissions for the period
covered in the Statement of Environmental Effects has not been done.

I trust the department will take these issues into account when
assessing this application.

Rix's Creek Coal Mine is a strong supporter of local jobs and local
suppliers.
Our company has been working for Rix's Creek for many years in the
repair, fabrication and manufacturing of parts, as well as the supply
of maintenance labour.
Rix's Creek have my support for this Extension of Time, for what I
understand to be largely an administrative process to allow the
continuation of existing operations.

Note: Late submission received 25/03/2019

My objection would be general, in that in accordance with Judge
Preston, I can see that coal mining has already gone too far in the
face of its consequences for a now finite survival of all species. If
that is a `merit' argument it may be being laid aside against the
public interest.

But emissions from proposed mine extent should be included in the
assessment.

Also, the energy/money donated through public subsidy of the entire
procedure should be counted on the loss side; our loss. Our government
seems to exist just to assist the mining corporations, whether
Australian or from elsewhere. Nobody can see a good reason for this.

Procedurally, the Bloomfield push for yet more mining should be
refused due to its open breach of previous limits. I believe they just
continued to mine 100 hectares more than the limit set, and received
an invalid `punishment' amounting to finding a biodiversity offset!

There is no clear information describing this application. It must
surely be illegal to allow approval of a mine extension whose exact
site and extent, exact estimates of yield, and exact emissions and
polluting effects have not even been submitted for examination, if
they are known.
It looks very much as if they expect our government to give them
anything they want, so they don't bother being correct and accurate.
It is a deliberate woolly proposal so that if they go 100 hectares
outside it again, the law will have no power... this is crooked,
anyone can see it.

We now have the same government in. But I think that any government
can be made less corrupt by being called to account by a straight
public service, with integrity, courage, and the perseverance to call
it to account on behalf of the public; that is, all of us and our
children; the payers.

Please reject this contemptuously slack application.

Thankyou,

Please acknowledge receipt of submission.

Please see attached.

As attached