MOD 3 - Pit 8 Extension

I am a Mudgee resident, working in the school with the next generation of leaders in this community. We are emersed in the renewables hubs and their great contribution to Australias energy future. I object to the releasing over 25 MT of additional Greenhouse Gas emissions. I object to you calling this an extension, it is the first stage of a bigger mine expansion and should be assessed as a new project. I have Mowgee, Wiradjuri heritage and I object to more loss of cultural heritage and the spiritual landscape. I object to the increased pollution through poorly assessed noise, dust, blasting, onsite coal ignition
(spontaneous combustion), lighting and water contamination. I object on economic grounds, there is no economic justification, the increased climate change impacts will cost more than public income generated through royalties and taxes. I object to you continuing to ignore the climate crisis and betraying the needs of future generations.

Extension of Wilpinjong will support the local and surrounding communities both directly and indirectly.

I stand behind the wilpinjong mine extension and it’s benefits to our region and keeping local jobs

Doctors 4 Mudgee Region is a community-led initiative established to address the critical shortage of General Practitioners and healthcare services across the Mudgee, Gulgong, and Kandos–Rylstone regions. Our mission is to attract, support, and retain doctors in our rural communities to ensure the sustainability of local healthcare.

We wish to express our strong support for the continuation of mining operations at Wilpinjong Mine. The contribution that Wilpinjong has made to the health, wellbeing, and economic strength of our region cannot be overstated.

Wilpinjong Mine has demonstrated a consistent and genuine commitment to supporting local communities, not only through employment and investment but through meaningful partnerships that directly improve community outcomes. Specifically, the mine has been instrumental in the success of the Doctors 4 Mudgee Region program, jointly funding its establishment and supporting the placement of a GP in the Gulgong community after an 18-month absence. This initiative has been critical in restoring access to healthcare for residents and ensuring ongoing medical services in the town.

Beyond healthcare, Wilpinjong Mine plays a vital role in sustaining the local economy and community fabric by:
• Supporting a 605-strong local workforce, with an additional 100 contractor roles.
• Injecting $569 million directly into the NSW economy last year.
• Contributing a $400 million annual spend across more than 1,260 suppliers.
• Spending $96 million in wages annually.
• Investing over $1.2 million into 160 community organisations over the past decade.
• Developing a skilled regional workforce, with 30 apprentices and trainees onsite last year.
• Paying $90 million in royalties to the NSW Government last year.

This level of community and economic support cannot be easily replaced. Wilpinjong’s investment has directly underpinned regional growth, stability, and access to essential services, including healthcare. Their partnership approach demonstrates how industry and community can work together to achieve shared, sustainable outcomes for rural Australia.
For these reasons, Doctors 4 Mudgee Region strongly supports the continuation of operations at Wilpinjong Mine, recognising its indispensable role in ensuring the health, vitality, and economic resilience of our region.

I strongly support wilpinjong and this project as it provides support for our community and my school. Because dad works there and the money he get from it we have a great life not having to worry about money issues

The continuation and extension of appropriate coal mines is essential for the local economy. Wilpinjong directly employs over six hundred workers indirectly indirectly many more including contractors and suppliers. They also support many community services and projects including some that I am associated with.

I believe this project will benefit the local community. It provides jobs and helps support the town.

It provides & sustains jobs within the local communities. Without these projects our community wouldnt be as strong as it currently is.

I fully support MOD 3 - PIT 8 EXTENSION (APPLICATION NUMBER SSD 6764 MOD 3) (Submission Number -97493706) for Peabody Energy Wilpinjong coal mine.
I have been out to the proposed MOD 3 -PIT 8 EXTENSION site with Wilpinjong Staff we went to the site where everything about the extension was explained in great detail, maps were provided and explained in great detail of the proposed extension site of MOD 3- PIT 8 EXTENSION.
Wilpinjong staff did not rush through the tour and happily answered any questions that was asked of them.
I feel this extension has been well planned and I completely support the MOD 3 -PIT 8 extension.
This extension of MOD 3 - PIT 8 Extension is important for the community because Peabody Energy Wilpinjong Coal mine is a very large Employer of Men and Women and offer School leavers the opportunity of an Apprenticeship or Traineeship that live in the community as well as contractors all these people have families their children are at the local Schools or daycare which in turn gives other people employment the shop keepers all sorts of people directly or indirectly rely on Wilpinjong for their employment.
Not been granted this extension will have a large impact on the community and the surrounding towns, with people having to leave to gain employment.
Wilpinjong coal have taken into account any impact on Aboriginal Cultural Heritage sites.
In conclusion I support MOD 3 -Pit -8 Extension
Yours Sincerely
Virginia Doig

Gjv

More coal= more power, more jobs better economy.

I am a licenced Wildlife carer. I object to this project.
The proposed extension of mine disturbance will significantly impact two critically endangered
ecological communities (CEEC) and eleven endangered fauna species.
Endangered microbats: The new open cut area contains the highest density of the endangered
Large-eared Pied Bat and Eastern Cave Bat in the region. Two rocky hills will be removed, which
are at the centre of the hotspot. These are critical breeding habitats including known maternity
sites, resulting in a Significant and Irreversible Impact (SAII). Removing a maternity site will mean death to the species. Microbats do so much for the environment!
Box Gum Woodland CEEC: The assessment fails to adequately consider indirect impacts from
the proposal on the Box Gum Woodland CEEC and understates the extent of impact. This
community is identified as groundwater dependent. The potential impacts of the proposed
groundwater drawdown is not considered or assessed.
Regent Honeyeater: The proposed expansion will directly remove mapped areas of important
habitat for the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater. There are current records of breeding
activity in the district that are not recognised in the assessment report. The government has poured thousands of dollars into this project. It is Idiodic to then destroy an area these birds desperately need.
Koala: Impacts on landscape connectivity. Expansion of open-cut mining forms an extensive
and hostile barrier between the locally significant conservation areas of Munghorn Gap Nature
Reserve and Goulburn River National Park. Will remove the closest points of intact remnant
vegetation on the valley floor currently forming stepping stones of habitat between these two
reserves for a wide variety of woodland birds including the Critically Endangered Regent
Honeyeater and mobile fauna like the Endangered Koala.

I am in support of the MOD 3 - Pit 8 Extension for Wilpinjong. From my point of view Wilpinjong is critical to the Mudgee region in providing a place of employment for a wide range of people. It promotes diversity in the region whilst also increasing the 'sense of community' to Mudgee.

Wilpinjong is critical to ensuring that NSW has access to cheap electricity in a world with ever increasing costs.

i feel this will be good for my local community.
i believe without this extension the smaller towns in the central west will suffer.

This extension will not only create jobs but ongoing support to many families and the state of NSW

Wilpinjong has been an important part of our business for over 12 years. This expansion will support jobs within our business.

Operating since 2006, Wilpinjong Coal Mine (WCM) has been progressively increasing its mining operations footprint with 8 pits opened to date (Pits 1-8).

WCM considers Pit 8 extension to be a ‘modification’, however a number of characteristics of this ‘modification’ set it apart from existing approved operations and it should be assessed as a new project.

The proposed Pit 8 Extension extends beyond the current mining lease boundary and warrants more rigorous scrutiny and comprehensive assessment than provided in the WCM – Mod 3, Pit 8 Extension Assessment Report (the Report).

Mod 3 will increase negative Visual impacts, increase negative impacts on Landscape Character, increase disturbance to creek line catchment. Further to this, the proposed extension is positioned within a much larger exploration licence (EL9399) and WCM considers Mod 3 to be part of larger expansion plans for the mine within EL 9399 (p. ES-1 the Report). The ‘modification’ requires an extension of 6 months to mining operations in this area, beyond the current, approved, final date of 31 Dec 2033 (ES – 1, the Report). As a result, this ‘modification’ will increase social anxiety and uncertainty as timelines for mining operations are extended.

LANDSCAPE CHARACTER IMPACTS
The impact of an open-cut coal mine on the landscape it inhabits is irrefutably severe and utterly transformative. All vegetation is removed, whatever thin layer of topsoil present is removed, natural land formations are removed, and in their place vast, deep voids are created.
The Report describes the Landscape Character Impact of this Modification as largely Moderate (p. 153, the Report) on 3 neighbouring zones, National Parks and Conservation – LCZ1, Agricultural Plains – LCZ2 and Village - LCZ4 (Wollar). WCM fails to recognise both the direct and indirect impact it has on the landscape character of these zones as a neighbour and in the case of Agricultural Plains, an occupier.
National Parks and Conservation – Spring Gully and Big River campgrounds positioned on the Goulburn River and within the Goulburn River National Park (GRNP - the Park) have become increasingly popular camping locations for visitors to this area. Visitors’ perception of the National Park landscape may change as a part of their visit to the Park will include driving alongside an active, dusty, noisy open-cut mine. The Report makes no mention of this location (Pit 8 Extension area) being the access point for visitors to the Goulburn River National Park campground. This is a significant omission in the Report. The Landscape Character Impact of LCZ 1 – National Parks and Conservation should be considered HIGH.
Agricultural Plains – The Report considers this zone as having the ‘capacity to absorb further landscape character impacts’ (p. 153 the Report) because it has already been subjected to human modifications through land clearing and because of its proximity to an existing coal mine (Wlipinjong) (p. 151 the Report) The Report has assigned it a ‘Low sensitivity to landscape character impacts associated with the Modification’ (p 153 the Report). The physical impacts of an open cut coal mine on a landscape in comparison to land clearing for agriculture, is vastly different and incomparable. Historical land clearing in this region has provided valuable grasslands for both stock and native fauna, while fragile topsoil remains intact. Agricultural Plains have a strong, inherent landscape character. In this region the Agricultural Plains are traversed by creek lines (Wollar Creek and Wilpinjong Creek, p. 151 the Report) both of which are significant flow contributors to the Goulburn River and contribute important riparian attributes to the landscape. Riparian zones are vulnerable and easily degraded (waternsw.com.au) and should be considered to have a High sensitivity to the impacts of an open-cut coal mine. Proximity to an existing coal mine should not minimise the value of the Landscape Character of this zone. The Landscape Character Impact of LCZ 2 – Agricultural Plains should be considered HIGH.
Village – Maintaining the Landscape Character of Wollar village should be strongly considered when reviewing this report. Though the majority of residences in Wollar village are now owned by WCM, the Wollar Community Hall and Recreation Ground reside on Crown land and are managed by community members. These facilities are seeing a resurgence in activity as people have moved back to the area, and the region is being visited by increasing numbers of people travelling to the GRNP campgrounds and other local attractions such as The Drip. Wollar Community Hall is also an identified Neighbourhood Safer Place, a valuable asset to a community in times of natural disaster such as bushfires and storms.
The Report inaccurately asserts that the ‘modification’ would ‘largely be obscured by topographic and vegetative intervention’ (p. 153 the Report) from the village. The Reports supporting visual document, Figure 31, is misleading. The ‘modification’ will be clearly visible from within the village boundary. Aerial mapping and local knowledge of this area determine that there will be no ‘topographic intervention’ separating this ‘modification’ from the village landscape. Further to this, the increased dust levels within the village that will be associated with this ‘modification’ will alter the village landscape character. The Landscape Character Impact of LCZ 4 – Village should be considered HIGH.
VISUAL IMPACTS
As with Landscape Character, the Visual Impacts of an open-cut coal mine are severe and confronting. The location of the proposed Pit 8 extension should elevate the importance of Visual Impacts associated with it. Mogo Road is the access point for visitors to the Goulburn River National Park campgrounds which, as previously noted, is an increasingly popular visitor destination, particularly during school holiday periods.
The Visual Impact Assessment provided in the Report and the use of the ‘grid tool’ to determine Visual Magnitude Thresholds (p. 147 the Report) has not provided a true representation of the Visual Impacts of this ‘modification’. The Assessment is inadequate, inaccurate and supporting documents are misleading. Providing 3 static viewpoints of the proposed extension in no way describes the true visual impact this ‘modification’ will have. As a local landholder and resident of this area, the significance of Visual Impact is high and meaningful. I will be interacting with this proposed extension when I travel to work, driving directly alongside it. Visitors to the area will have a similar experience. The proposed Pit 8 Extension will not be experienced or viewed from a single, distant viewpoint. The Visual Impact Assessment associated with this Extension should be considered HIGH.

CUMULATIVE SOCIAL IMPACTS OF THREE LARGE COAL MINES IN A SINGLE COMMUNITY
The Report, in its Social Impact Assessment (SIA), has failed to adequately identify the negative cumulative impacts of the 3 large mines (Wilpinjong, Moolarben and Ulan) in this region. Instead, it attributes cumulative social impacts largely to the renewable energy projects that have recently moved into the region (p. 45 Appendix K). It should be noted that the renewable energy projects (e.g. Wollar Solar Farm) would not have purchased nearly an entire village and contributed to services closing due to rapid depopulation. In contrast, these projects would potentially have been able to utilise the services and accommodation the village had to offer.
NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF RAPID POPULATION GROWTH - The rapid population growth in Mudgee began well before the renewable energy projects started development and should for the most part, be attributed to the 3 large mines that operate in this area. This growth has put the townships infrastructure under extreme strain. The streets and carparks within the township struggle to cope with the volume of vehicles that now move through the town. There have been no changes to Mudgee’s infrastructure to accommodate this significant increase in traffic, and the town now feels hectic and disjointed not ‘vibrant and busy’ as the SIA asserts (p. 18 Appendix K). Services in Mudgee are also under strain. The Mudgee Post Office struggles to keep up with customer demand and long wait queues are experienced daily. There are no available doctors for new patients in Mudgee and despite the town’s population growth, it is unable to attract doctors to move to the area.
Population growth (e.g. in Mudgee) is not inherently a positive condition, as implied in the Reports SIA (p. 45 Appendix K). If services and infrastructure do not align with this growth, then an increased population will add stresses and a sense of disconnectedness.
DEPOPULATION OF WOLLAR VILLAGE - Mudgee’s rapid population growth can be attributed to mine workers and their families that have moved to the area since the mines began operating and expanding, as well as residents from outlying communities, such as Wollar, who were bought out by the mines and then relocated to Mudgee. The depopulation of the Wollar community has meant the loss of services such as the Post Shop and fuel, adding pressure to these businesses in Mudgee.
Village depopulation has also led to a loss of active members in the Rural Fire Brigade operating from the Wollar fire shed. This has resulted in brigade members having to travel from further away to attend incidents, increasing response time and stretching resources.
Modification 3, positioned within the much larger Exploration Licence 9399 along with plans by WCM to expand mining operations into the future, will facilitate the continuation of these issues.
I strongly object to this Modification application by WCM and hope it will be subjected to a thorough and comprehensive planning process in consideration of best interests of the people of NSW.

Thank you for considering my submission.

I support the continued operations of Wilpinjong for the direct socio-economic value

We are in a climate emergency, we must avoid coal and fasttrack to 100% renewable energy.

Hi, I'm Toby Walsh and I'm a 25 year old man living in the inner west of Sydney who cares about giving ourselves and future generations a planet to live on, which it doesn't seem like Peabody and these large coal mining corporations have as a similar moral compass. I am writing this submission today to object to the "modification" which should actually be classified as a new project and need to pass rigorous examinations. I don't believe this project should be put forward and not only because this "modification" will destroy 15 additional sites significant to the Wiradjuri Nation, but also because the mine will cause groundwater drawdown of over 20m and reduce creek flows by 21 million litres per year.

I could list more examples ranging from air and noise pollution to the obvious effects to the warming of our planet, however the focus here lies in the contrast to what our country and the world needs right now. Wollar is currently the gateway to the Central West Renewable Energy Zone and this expansion of the coal mining infrastructure will only slow NSW's transition to green energy and will also compete for workers which are needed in renewables. We have to be doing better and approving new coal projects is the opposite of what needs to be done. Please consider this when making decisions so vital to our future.