Mod 4 - Russell Vale Preliminary Works Bellambi Creek Gully Flood Mitigation

I object to the Preliminary Works proposed by Wollongong Coal Ltd (WCL)
relating to Bellambi Creek Gully. My reasons include:
* Bellambi Creek should have been realigned in 2012 to protect nearby
properties. This was a condition of the colliery's approval in 2011.
Failure to do so threatens residents downstream, with flooding and
inundation by coal washed off the site in heavy rain.
* this Proposal will not prevent coal pollution of Bellambi Creek
which has been contaminated many times in the past.
* DoPE has failed to monitor and enforce WCL's meeting its conditions
of approval. If, after 5 years, the conditions are changed, what does
this say about the Department's approval process.
* insufficient capital should not be the basis of a mining company
being able to change the conditions of their approval. Enforcement of
original conditions needs to be implemented to protect the community
and environment from unscrupulous operators.

I call on the Department of Planning and Environment to reject this
proposal and from now on to monitor and enforce compliance with mining
development approvals.

I object to this proposal.

The company, Wollongong Coal is hugely in debt. It has a small income
from the Wongawilli colliery, which it runs on a minimal budget and
its equipment fails regularly because it is old.

The company is extremely litigious and has failed to win its court
cases.

The Bellambi creek realignment has been a condition for mining for a
number of years and the company has failed to comply. The Department
has been at fault for not insisting on compliance.

As a consequence, Bellambi Lagoon has become very polluted due to
repeated incidents. The only way to protect Bellambi creek from
pollution is to relocate the creek from the colliery stockpile area.

I wish to oppose the Modifications to the Russell Vale colliery
Preliminary Works project approval regarding works on Bellambi Creek
Gully, for the following reasons:

The realignment was a condition of the 2011 approval. That coal has
now been mined and sold on.

Under the proposed option, the creek will run under the colliery
stockpile and working area, still risking pollution of Bellambi Creek.

With the past history of Wollongong Coal of non-compliance, it seems
most inappropriate that the company be allowed this proposed change on
the basis of insufficient capital.

the Georges River Environmental Alliance objects to this proposal on the
following grounds
>There has been a failure of this proponent to meet past conditions of
consent, as Bellami Ck was to be re-aligned in 2012 and this has not
occurred.
>As a consequence further pollution to the creek has occurred and will
continue to occur in the future should this be approved and that is
not acceptable.
>A flood event of 1998 demonstrated the need for creek re-alignment on
the basis of human safety. Approval of the non-alignment is not
acceptible as it puts human and property assets at risk. An approval
would make the approval agent both responsible for such unacceptable
risks and negligent.
> The excuse that the propoent cannot find teh captial to do the work,
is more of a reason for non-approval as it demonstrates they are not
fit and proper.

Please see my submission in the attached .pdf document.

OBJECTION

Please see uploaded document for submission.

Please see attachment 1.

Attached

see uploa

see uploa

Please see submission and files attached.

Please see attached submission.