Mod 6 - Expansion of Coal Mine

I know the impact that mines have of on the enviroment are of concern to the surounding area, but with the right guidlines I know we can work to make this mine and others a part of our future. It not only gives me and my family a future but also thousands of families and companies that are involved.
The approved extention will cement this and will only move this area forward.

Reggie Sinclair

if submission is not apoved it will affect not only my family but the community ihave called home for thirty years

I think the extension needs to go through otherwise there are not only the 130 workers jobs in jeopardy but it would also effect numerous contractors and sub contractors jobs across the hunter valley. Also would effect small and big busineeses who get alot of there work through thsi mine

This will affect my family if this extension does not go ahead with a morgage and car repayments.I also am in the process of bringing my wifes family out from the philippines which will affect the out come if I have no employment .

I think that the permission for the mine should be given the go ahead because i have a young family with three children under the age of2 at home and need this job too support my family. without this job i have the chance of losing everything. this job give me some security for me and my family for the future

Dear Minister,
I support Coal & Allied's Warkworth Modification application to gain access to an additional 350m of land owned by the mine, to avoid a significant drop in production and employment.
I have been employee at Mount Thorley Warkworth for just over three years. I am currently employed as a mining operator on the Pit Services A Crew. I started as a truck driver, and then progressed to gaining a Bulldozer skill. MTW fully supported my ambition to become trained on more than one piece of ancillary equipment, and encouraged me to be a productive member of the team.
I relocated from Central West NSW to become part of the MTW team. It was a big decision for our family, as this is the area we had lived in all of our lives. After gaining employment with MTW, my wife and children moved with me to the Hunter Valley. I could not have made this move without the support of my family. Coal & Allied also made significant contributions, helping with our move and giving support during the settling in phase.
Now there is a threat that I may not have my job, if the MTW modification application is not granted. This decision will not only affect me, but my family as well. My wage, allows me to support my wife and four children, and pay off a mortgage. If I no longer had a job, the consequences would be devastating. Due to commitments such as a mortgage it would be imperative that I found work within a very short space of time, and in this unstable economic climate there would be no guarantee of finding another job. It would literally mean a fly-in, fly-out position, or relocating my family interstate. Or even, no job at all.
If MTW was forced to close or downsize, there is a very real probability of my family needing Government assistance (Centrelink) as I am the sole income earner in our household. This is not an acceptable situation to me. I do not wish to be a burden on society, but a capable contributor.
There is no reason the MTW modification should not be approved. The mine has had a positive effect on not only employee's but the wider Singleton community. The mine is one of the reasons for the higher standard of living in the area, and plays an integral role in maintaining local businesses and facilities.
I believe the economic and social benefits, far outweigh any negative associations/concerns people have about the expansion. A bigger concern to me would be the loss of 1300 jobs, causing major pressure on local charities/support networks that would be needed to help at least some of those affected to put food on the table and pay utility bills. The simple fact of the matter is that creditors do not stop calling just because you have lost your job.
And then there are the many businesses that supply MTW. They will be forced to cut staff as well, and then this will have even more far-reaching effects. Investments in the NSW mining sector will slide, and this in turn will put significant strain on an industry that has long been propping up Australia's economy.
The expansion decision-making process has been underway for four years. It started well before I commenced work with Coal & Allied at Mount Thorley Warkworth, and now it could affect my life in an extremely negative way. It has already added an enormous amount of stress and uncertainty, as there is no guarantee of employment if this modification is not approved.
There are many livelihoods at stake if this modification is not granted. In my opinion, this decision has the ability either to be helpful or harmful to the Hunter Valley. If the NSW Government believes in a prosperous and secure Hunter Valley mining sector, they will approve this modification application.
This is a minor modification to an existing 30-year-old mine. Coal & Allied need certainty. The Singleton community needs certainty. The Hunter Valley mining sector needs certainty. My family and I need certainty.
Please accept this submission in support of the Warkworth Modification.

Regards
Jamie William Blewitt and Family

Extension of MTW mine is strongly supported. This has a huge impact on my family having made changes to location and employment status to pursue what was first thought a secure career. If this did not go through we would have to relocate, my wife would have to leave teaching within the local community which would be a loss, and relocate a family of three, to move closer to larger family.

To sustain a career within mining with a company that values zero harm to the local community, environment, and a great supporter of employment at large for this region. I feel it would be a disaster should this not go ahead both personally, and for the region at large.

Favoured consideration is greatly appreciated.

I support the continuation of the mine as I believe that a closure would have huge social and economical impacts on the area.

job secrurity, way of life, support the countries growth and supply energy for demestic and industrial needs. in general be apart of the economical growth of the local community and the national development.. support my family!

The expanion will be a good thing to go though for myself and my family. I work at MTW and this helps support my partner who had a heart attack last year, and with out my job we would be on welfare and a burdon on the public health system. But with RIOs private heath care we are able to go private. I also suport my son who is studying with out a payment from the government.
We pay a morgage on a house in Broke, and help suport the local community by buying local in Singleton, bulga and Broke.
With out this job we would all be moving out of the hunter for work, or going on a benifit of some sort.

my to boys are just about to start out in the workforce good opportunity for jobs for them. good opportunity for growth in sinhgleton area. where will Australia be without mining.

been a miner for a number of years, and can not see a future anywhere else. have been unemployed before, and could not find any other work other than the mines.

My husband works in the mines, and we cant see any future if the mine does not get the extension

I would hate to see my dad loose his job at the mine

I would hate to see the mine close down and my dad loose his job

it will effect my family because a single income family
also it will effect local community by living
without mining what the future australia does have

i support the approval of the warkworth mine lease as it affects a large part of the hunter valley with employment over many buisnesses. the sustainability and employment of the number of people that will be affected by the extension not going through will not be covered in other industries around the valley which will leave a lot of people unemployed.

I strongly support the extension at MTW, on a larger scale families, communities, and regions will be placed under major stress without mining in our region. On a personal level I understand the opposition to the extension and sympathise with the Bulga residence, but without it I would fear for any long term employment opportunities elsewhere.

Being working in MTW for tha last 3 years with my wife, the outcome of this submission will affect the outcome of our family. i support the extention of MTW.

This company has provided me with the ability to move forth into the future with the skills and training needed to build my future in this industry. Without the approval of further extending the mine my chosen career path will crash and burn along with the hundreds of other workers who will be affected. Not to mention the significant impact this decision will have on the many families and small businesses in the Hunter, significantly the township of Singleton. The impact of not approving the mines proposal by far out weighs the impact of approving. The decision is obvious.