MOD 3 - Pit 8 Extension

I strenuously object to Wilpinjong Mod 3.
I am a local resident of the Wollar district living 12km by road and much less as the crow flies at 160(Fig 8a) currently modelled in zone 8 and should be zone 9. I am a carpenter/joiner by trade and up until Peabody decimated the local population of Wollar and surrounds I was kept employed locally with various building projects. Currently I am being forced to travel up to 3 hrs/day. My wife is also having to work away. We have stranded assets, are now financially disadvantaged and mentally stressed whilst having to deal with noise, dust, spon com and blasts from Peabody mine.
Firstly, I feel the need to mention what a disgustingly biased, confusing and deceiving application for a modification. The continual mention of Rocky Hill and not disturbing Cumbo Creek, 6 months of nothing to see here, the photos purportedly showing the proposed extension will not be viewed from the village, a non-existent ridgeline and a straight road with a 90-degree corner viewpoint fig 30 -31. We’re all being treated as fools. Mod 3 is not a modification, it is part of a new mining endeavour into the completely different catchment area of Wollar valley as shown in CCC meeting 3 September 2025.
This modification would fall outside the current mining lease.
. There was no consultation as required with the Wollar community or CCC for the latest approved SIMP.
. We are expecting complete closure of the mine in 2033.
Visual Impacts
The main report describes Wollar Village under LCZ4 with no reference to our recreation ground. Described as high sensitivity but low impact. I strongly disagree that a blasting, inpit rock crushing mine with an enormous amount of noise, dust and odour a few hundred metres away could be of low impact. This should definitely be HIGH. This will be a high-level loss of amenity that will not be mitigated.
LZ1 and LZ2 Farming Land and the gateway to the GRNP should also be HIGH.
Light pollution – Regardless of which way huge industrial lights are directed their purpose is to create a day time scenario when it should be night. Operating these lights for a 24hr day time workplace creates city lights in the country sky, and creates a sense of confusion to the circadian rhythm and photoperiodism of flora and fauna. The report states a number of residences in the vicinity of the modification contribute to regional light effects in the night sky. There are only a few miners living there (must be another joke).

The Photos. View point 2 figure 30 & viewpoint 3 figure 31. Just an absolute joke really as I said I’ve lived here for 33yrs and it took 10mins to figure out where they were. They are highly misleading. They should show that residents and visitors will be looking directly into the pit when going to and from Mogo rd which is the gateway to GRNP. That there is no ridge to buffer the village, the rocky outcrop will be removed and it would be a Very High Visual Impact.

Noise Impacts
If this modification was to go ahead it would blast what amenity that remains in Wollar into oblivion. The report states it will exceed blast criteria.
At our property the persistent annoyance of the mines intrusive and cumulative noise levels is proving to cause anxiety, stress and impacting on our wellbeing. The Mod 3 noise assessment does not acknowledge it is moving closer to remaining properties, we already have the noise funnelling, that of course can only get worse as it moves closer. Low frequency Noise has not been assessed as required, we are at a lower altitude from mine emissions which has not been taken into account.
Wollar Hall is a designated Neighbourhood Safe Place in times of emergency. Noise levels are incorrectly derived. No noise levels have been set for the recreation ground.

Social Impacts
In the report it states that the only previous amenity lost in Wollar was the school and the shop. I deplore the accusation that these were of little to no consequence. The school was a social hub where people met daily and it bought many other people to the village to see the children perform, get awards and participate in activities. The shop was an enormous loss; the remaining community have since had to travel a round of 2 hrs or more for fuel or absolutely anything else required. Wollar community went from being quite self-sufficient to totally isolated and remote. Losing the last remaining amenities the hall and recreation ground because of this modification would be totally devasting. That would leave the remaining community with absolutely nothing and of no consequence to Peabody who obviously gains.
The proposal area actually forms part of our village. Imagine your hometown being blown up, we are not in a war zone, we are quite an affluent country with kinship, empathy and environmental awareness. The Social Impact would be enormous.
Peabody’s current management of spon com is not adequate, the smell is physically sickening and is of great concern to our health.


Table 34
Summary of Potential Impacts for the Modification
Positives- of which 2 of them are employment.
The other being the Rocky Hill complex (again) and I fail to recognise the inclusion of this in the report at all. If this is a positive of the modification then does it become negative if it doesn’t go ahead. (Is this therefore their style of blackmail).
There is and will continue to be mining jobs in this LGA and contractors are in demand. Many employees at Wilpinjong come from out of the LGA. (They could work for a different company that doesn’t have ‘a dob in your mate culture’).
Therefore, there are no legitimite positives for this project to go ahead. There are however 7 negatives. Continued amenity matters significance should be HIGH. Visual impacts should be HIGH

Air Quality
Is it another joke that Mod 3 Air Quality Assessment is based on 2 very wet years? 2022/23. I thought modelling was representative of what future local, long-term weather may be. I find this a very poor and bias assessment. They aren’t currently managing dust in windy weather and it hasn’t been dry and hot yet. They should include 2018/19 to mitigate the wet years.
Spon Com management is currently failing. Previous modelling and assessments must therefore be poor. Pit 8 would be much closer to our home;
this is of great concern.
Endangered Species
Regent Honeyeater
Important habitat for the regent honey eater, previously mapped will be removed. The recent breeding events in the locality of modification have not been given significance. Mitigations measures in the report are haphazard.
Eastern cave bat and large-eared pied bat
Mod 3 would remove critical breeding habitats, maternity sites and foraging areas for these bats. The extent of impact with cumulative loss of similar habitats from past mining and direct loss is unknown. Relying on existing mitigation measures of manmade structures of which is there is no evidence of breeding and having the ability to do that with the dust, noise, blasting and lighting is very unlikely to occur.
Box Gum Woodlands
This report fails to consider the proposed drawdown of water on areas of Box gum woodlands despite being groundwater dependant.
Connectivity and FragmentationThere is little consideration given to fact this proposal will form an extensive barrier between the significant conservation areas of Munghorn Gap nature reserve and the Goulburn River National Park. Weed and pest control is inadequate mitigation

Earthquakes
Ulan has recorded 17 earthquakes since 2019. This assessment does not give this any consideration.

Overall, the assessment for Mod 3 was abysmal.

Prof Ollie Jay of the university of Sydney who worked on a major report on the health impact of climate change says Approximately one heat related death occurs every minute. Reduced coal burning has saved about 400 lives a day in the last decade. Accountability for climate impact is not a question of if but when

As a company that employs over 200 employees in the mining industry and in turn look after fire equipment in the commercial sector that directly operate and survive from mining themselves. We as an organisation support the extension.

I personally feel we need to the stop demonising the industry as the value it brings to the local and federal level the small towns and Australia as a whole would not survive without it. It's easy to say we will create jobs in other sectors but we all know the revenue and employment would not be the same. How many people are employed to keep a solar far operating daily? i am guessing 10 at max yet we are talking thousands of jobs and families surviving on mining not just directly with the mine but indirectly also.

I Support this expansion

I support this project

I support the the project.

Good day,

I am writing to support this submission.
Wilpinjong Coal has produced coal for both the domestic & export markets for over 15 years safely & efficiently. This supports the provision of low cost for power for the State of NSW and provides valuable revenue for the NSW government by way of taxes & royalties.
The mine also is an integral part of the local Mudgee region with the majority of workers residing in the local towns of Mudgee & Gulgong.

The proposed extension of the Pit 8 area is a sensible progression of the mine plan to efficiently extract the remaining coal in this area. Wilpinjong Mine have a strong environmental record and "have the runs on the board" with over 15 years of production (and rehabilitation) to demonstrate they are a good corporate citizen.

As such I support the approval of this submission.

Kind regards,
David Nelmes.

I support the project

keep wilpy going

I support the Wilpinjong Mine Extension as it will keep my family lifestyle balanced and on track for future development of our kids.
The Mudgee Region will not be able to sustain on Tourism alone, so with this extension it will keep us providing for the future.
A lot of families will be lost if they don’t have a job and the region will look pretty bare without the community that has been built over the years.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and giving us a fair go.
Cheers

…

I support the project.

I support the extension.

Good for community

More jobs for the community

I support this

I support the extension

I object to the expansion of Pit 8 on several different levels, Global, Regional and local as well as personal and economic objections.
Globally, the world is suffering with the effects of Climate Change and this will continue until the communities of the world make a stand against the addition of greenhouse gas emissions.
The extra emissions is not required for Australia or NSW to meet our electricity needs. Your decision rests solely on the financial gains of the mine owner which is in total opposition to the communities of the world and our local community. The extra emissions and the greenhouse gas emissions of the use of coal will be detrimental to the health of global citizens, Australians, New South Welshmen and women and local Mudgee residents and visitors to our region.
The expansion of coal mining is not just a local local decision with only local impacts, your job now is to understand and take into consideration the world wide impacts of this type of industry and its grave outcomes for future generations of Australians and Global children.
This expansion if it is, as suggested, a first stage of a bigger expansion then it should be re-submitted for consideration with all future expansion mapped out.
With regard to global climate changes, the loss of habitat for ALL species of flora and fauna, whether it be endangered or not is unacceptable. However, with regard to the specific endangered species which I believe are the Pied Bat, and Eastern Cave Bat and the Regent Honeyeater and our precious Koala, the loss of habitat and the increasing light and noise pollution around their existing habitat is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.
Australia is not wholly reliant on coal anymore, due to the emergence of better economic outcomes from renewable energy solutions, and in fact the expansion of this mine could be detrimental to the local expansion of renewables through:- 1. The lack of available workforce for renewable projects locally, 2. The transition to clean energy will be slowed until communities, individuals, and business turn away from coal use and embrace renewable energy. 3. Competing for resources with the Central West REZ.
On a personal level as a local Mudgee resident, we are losing our way of life, we have enough mining companies and mining workers in town. Lets get back to encouraging rural village life, where tourism and important Mudgee industries such as Viticulture can thrive into the future. Unlike renewable ventures, coal mining will discourage new small intensive farming and industries such as truffle farming, distilleries etc to make our countryside flourish and be enjoyable for village and town life but the extension of coal mining will be especially detrimental to our very important and profitable Tourism and Wine Industries in Mudgee. Tourism is alive and flourishing in Mudgee but it is not without its challenges and as the owner of 5 short term rental cottages in Mudgee I can say that the extension of coal mining will be detrimental to my business by constricting employment availability in town.
In summary, the expansion of Pit 8 will only economically benefit shareholders, the NSW and Australian population will pay the price which will NEVER be covered by royalties and taxes which have been shown to be woefully under paid by mining companies for decades. The local residents and flora and fauna will pay the ultimate price, but Nationally and Globally we will all pay the price of rising costs (such as insurance, disaster recovery and health care) from the effects of climate change on us all.

:)

Fully support the mine expansion, it continues to create employment for the community and keeps the lights on in nsw. Environmental damage is minimal as all mining lands are rehabilitated back to natural bush land. It also creates a lot of secondary jobs for the state such as fuel companies, machinery manufacturing, tyre manufacturing, railroads ect. The list is endless as well as a lot of traineeships and apprenticeships that create skills for their future employment even after the mines have closed.