MOD 3 - Pit 8 Extension

We need to get away from “ renewable energy’s” as they are not sustainable and are causing a massive amount of fear mongering about “ global warming “ we also need to get back to manufacturing goods in Australia and we cannot do so without a stable energy grid

I support the project because I am employed by peabody Wilpinjong & it provides great support & benefits to my family & the community.

As a long-term member of the Mid-western Region, I would like to express my support for the proposed MOD 3 - Pit 8 Extension.

This mine has provided stable, well-paid employment for local families for many years, along with indirect work for contractors, suppliers, and service providers. It underpins local schools, small businesses, and community organisations that rely on the economic activity generated by the mine. The proposed extension would give our region greater security and confidence in its future.

It is unfortunate that there seems to be a growing industry of protesting/objecting to any and all mining projects by some environmental and action groups, their lack of empathy for the community and continuously promoting opinion as facts have also had negative effects on our community. They have created anxiety among workers and their families, discouraged investment in local businesses, and made it harder for young people to plan their futures here. In some cases, outside protest activity has disrupted local operations and strained relationships within the community.

It is important to recognise that the mine operation already works under strict environmental regulations and has demonstrated a responsible approach to land rehabilitation, dust and water management, and community consultation. The company has shown it is willing to listen and adapt.

Extending the mine would allow these improvements and safeguards to continue while protecting the livelihoods and wellbeing of thousands of local people who depend on its success.

For these reasons, I strongly support the approval of the MOD 3 - Pit 8 Extension, so that our community can move forward with confidence and stability.

I object to this expansion for several reasons. Firstly, it is going to extract an additional 14 million tons of coal, disturbing the Earth, increasing coal dust and once burned, contributing to the climate crisis we are currently facing. Scientists from around the world have already confirmed that we are on a trajectory for reaching a 2-degree warming and if we don't shift away from the burning of fossil fuels this could be 3 degrees by the end of the century, which will bring about the death of half the world's population. This is extremely alarming and it is downright dangerous to be even considering this. It demonstrates a lack of care for the future generations.
The second main reason for my objection is that it will significantly impact two critically endangered ecological communities and eleven endangered fauna species while increasing the loss of flows to Wollar and Wilpinjong Creeks. We are already seeing mass extinctions across the globe, and should be doing everything we can to prevent the loss of others and protect our waterways.
I sincerely hope that the decisionmakers show sensisibilites to all species and the future generations and make a decision in favour of them rather than that of the greedy mining corporations,
Thank you,

Sally Novak

It’s important for the mine to continue operating for as long as possible, a lot of people are dependent on mines operation the town had expanded due to mining, moved the family to the region and would like to remain here for a long time. Business’s are busy,
I’ve worked here for 2 years and can see how much it means to the town. AGL benifits from our mine in particular with cheaper coal agreements.

I support the Wilpinjong Coal extension because it supports many local jobs and has brought so many people to our small community. Mudgee's local community has grown so much since the introduction of the local mines. I support Wilpinjongs submission for extension as it has provided myself and my family with fantastic employment opportunities and we wouldn't be in the position we are today without projects like this.

I support this project fully as it provides myself and my family a stable income and future in the region.

Peabody Energy’s Mod 3 proposal should be assessed as a new project, not a modification.
Please protect Wollar Village – mining should not be allowed to extend to village boundaries.
Wollar is the gateway to the Central West Renewable Energy Zone. Coal expansion halts NSW’s transition and competes for workers needed in renewables.
Stop further destruction of Aboriginal cultural heritage – Mod 3 will destroy 15 additional sites significant to the Wiradjuri Nation.
The project threatens endangered species including the Large-eared Pied Bat, Eastern Cave Bat, Regent Honeyeater, and Koala.
The mine will cause groundwater drawdown of over 20m and reduce creek flows by 21 million litres per year.
The extra emissions far outweigh any local economic benefit.

I stand in support of the 700 jobs and the broader community that benefit from the ongoing operation of this mine. It plays a vital role in providing stable employment and contributing to essential infrastructure and services.

In big support of the project. Critical to local jobs, economy, and keeping our towns alive.

I am an employee of Peabody. The Wilpinjong Mine Pit 8 Extension will assist in supporting local jobs and businesses. Peabody has a strong focus on sustainability and provides support for the local Mudgee and surrounding community's.

We object to this expansion of Peabody’s Wilpinjong Mine because it will
• Disturb an additional 155 ha of important biodiversity habitat values and farming land, decimating a biodiversity hotspot for threatened microbats and critically endangered Regent Honeyeaters
• Bring open cut mining operations right up to the edge of Wollar Village causing more social distress for the community, which has suffered enormously over the past 15 years.
• Generate an additional 25 million tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere at a time when the world is already overheating and impacted by increasingly violent extreme weather events.
• Permanently alter flows to Wollar Creek and destroy groundwater systems and adding to the destruction of life in the Goulburn River.
• Continue to disturb Aboriginal cultural heritage and the connection to country.
• be the first stage of a much larger expansion of Pit 9 & Pit 10 and should be assessed as a new project.
• Increase pollution through poorly assessed noise, dust, blasting, onsite coal ignition (spontaneous combustion), lighting and water contamination
• Slow the transition to clean energy future – competing with the Central West
Renewable Energy Zone which starts at Wollar

This project is not needed for regional jobs as there is a huge workforce shortage
for renewable energy projects in the Central West. Also,past experience shows that profits from this expansion will not flow to the Australian community via taxes or royalties.

I have owned property in the Wollar district for 48 years and live 16 kms as the crow flies from Wilpinjong Coal Mine.I strongly object to this Extension and do not see it as a modification at all. This proposal is aiming to a greater extension to pits 9 and 10, which will completely disrupt the ecology of the region and destroy the environment , the biodiversity and have huge social impacts , as the existing mine operations already have done.

Wollar was once a bustling, thriving community, with a school, churches, gatherings , health services, cricket team and a cohesive community group, who worked together to form a creative and safe environment for the children, the elderly and all community members.We left the district for a number of years, but kept our property. We returned to our property, thinking that Wilpinjong Mine would be winding down. What we were confronted with was a community torn apart, divided and conquered and traumatised.What was left of the houses that were not demolished by the mine , were inhabited by mine workers who do not contribute at all to the Wollar community, but like zombies only sleep and work, then go back to wherever they came from. Although the many families that were bought out by the mines were paid above market value for their properties, they all now live in places where there is no direct social community ,they maybe closer to facilities in Mudgee, however Mudgee has become a heartless, economic hub with little soul and cohesive community sense.

We are now impacted by noise, coal dust on our solar panels and in our drinking water tanks and I remind you we live 16 kms east of the mine. Because the 3 mines Ulan, Molarben and Wilpinjong release their excess water into the Wilpinjong and Cumbo Creeks, which flow into the Goulbourn River, we have seen a massive change to the river system and ecology in the past 10 years. We now have carp in the river as it never dries up as it naturally did in the past. We use this water for domestic and stock purposes, the salt levels have changed as have the PH levels. When all these issues are brought up with the mine and the EPA it is basically "nothing to see here" all in the guide lines. There seems to be a huge amount of "data washing "going on. The fact that Peabody pays some other remaining landholders $10000 per annum to not complain about the noise dust etc., smells of bribery ,so that they can exceed the regulations without too many complaints.
Our property is surrounded by the Goulbourn River NP, we have a small colony of Regent honeyeaters who breed and nest near by, still with the proposed future activity of this extension, I believe their future is similar to the residents of Wollar.....not tenable.
Wollar is also the Hub for the Central West REZ,so not only is our remaining community affected by the mines presence, but we are also handling the increased traffic and road damage involved in this operation. I do believe that the REZ is a positive transition away from mining and the NSW govt. should be encouraging mine workers to transition to this industry, given that the royalties being received from the coal industry will never be enough to counteract the massive effects and costs of climate change that we are already seeing.
The mining industry have already destroyed 3 vibrant small communites in our area Ulan, Bylong and Wollar, enough is enough. As we say "it takes a village to raise a chlid , it takes a coal mine to raze a village" If you are reading this and you are human and have children or grandchildren, I ask you to seriously think of their future.

Objection to: Wilpinjong Coal Mine (WCM) – Modification 3 (Mod 3), Pit 8 Extension

Modification 3 should be evaluated as a new project.
Peabody Energy is attempting to bypass stringent assessment and public scrutiny by naming this Extension a ‘modification’. This modification is not ‘substantially the same’ as the approved development, as NSW Planning legislation requires. As such, it should be assessed as a new project.
The proposed Pit 8 Extension lies largely outside the current mining lease boundary and requires a greater degree of scrutiny and more thorough assessments than have been provided in WCM – Mod 3, Pit 8 Extension - Assessment Report (the Report).
The proposed Pit 8 Extension represents not only an extension of operations in both time (an additional 6 months required) and footprint (an additional 150 ha, approximately) but will further enhance threats faced by a number of threatened fauna species in this area, notably two species of bat as well as the endangered Koala and the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater. The modification will also further destroy valuable grasslands and while the Report assesses this Modification as ‘a modest extension of mining’ at WCM, it is nevertheless an expansion and represents ongoing encroachment on to biodiversity habitat and pastoral lands. This should not be understated. The cumulative impacts of this extension have not been adequately assessed in this Report.
The Modification will bring the operational mine within visual distance to Wollar village and encroach on the entrance to the Goulburn River National Park campgrounds. This Modification will mean visitors and locals who use these roads will be engaging more closely with the active mine and the tangible impacts of dust and noise will be increased for residents living in the area.
Wilpinjong Coal Mines proposed Modification 3, Pit 8 Extension lies within a much larger Exploration Licence area (EL9399) and appears to be the first stage of future expansion plans that WCM has for mining operations in this area: ‘Approval of the modification would...support the continuation of ROM coal extraction...while WCPL evaluates opportunities to develop a future Wilpinjong Coal Mine Significant Development extension proposal (e.g. in Exploration Licence 9399)’ (ES-1 Main Report). This causes uncertainty and anxiety for local residents, who aspire for a future revival of this region, including Wollar village.
I strongly object to this Modification. Thank you for considering my submission.

I have been an active member in the local community since 1975, living for a period on agricultural land outside Wollar and then later in the village. After moving to Newcastle for education and work in 1996 I remained a consistent visitor to the village, visiting friends and being involved in local community activities. The last time I went to Wollar was on 14/10/2025, where over 40 people came together at Wollar Community Hall to farewell a long-term member of the community who had recently died. I do not support the application for extension of the mine.

I strongly support this project and economic prosperity it brings to the region.

I have been providing Wilipinjong Mine with our range of goods, services and technical / compliance advice now for > 10 years and know them to be a responsible mining company who operate with professionalism and integrity. As a supporter of our business in additional to 100's of others and the support they bring to the local community in general I support their proposed extension.

We support the project.
Peabody is supporting local towns with jobs and futures in the mining industry.
THeir mining techniques are world class when it comes to protecting the environment

I support this expansion as it will mean that the region around Mudgee will continue to have people employed. There would not be enough work for these workers in the local area and people will be forced to leave to look for work. As a result the Mudgee area will decline and this will affect other jobs outside the mining industry. This will cause a snowball effect and the region will slow down dramatically.

Letter from Expressway Spares in support of the project is attached.