Mod 8 - Ulan West Continued Operations.

Very positive outcome for the region if this project is approved

I object to this project on the following grounds:
1. Releasing over 105 Mt of additional Greenhouse Gas emissions, poor monitoring and reporting of methane emissions. 2. Outside existing mine boundary with additional infrastructure disturbance - should be assessed as a new project 3. Constructing a large new tailings dam area of 132 ha within a revegetated, rehabilitated old open cut pit next to Goulburn River risking leakage of toxic contaminants 4. Wholly west of Great Dividing Range within the Murray Darling Basin - loss of flows to Talbragar River, tributary of Macquarie River feeding into significant Macquarie Marshes 5. Extended water releases into Goulburn River increasing salt load downstream to Hunter 6. Loss of Aboriginal cultural heritage and spiritual landscape for Wiradjuri Nation – impacting 71 known sites, including rock art 7. Disturbing an additional 1743 ha with sandstone escarpment, caves and overhangs: Destroying additional important habitat for the nationally threatened Large-eared Pied Bat, Eastern Cave Bat, Regent Honeyeater and Koala, critically endangered Box Gum Woodland. Cumulative impact on these species across 3 mines in region. 8. Final layout of surface infrastructure not yet determined – mine plan not finalised 9. Undermining 17 private properties directly impacting 4 houses and 6 private bores 10. Increasing social impacts, loss of farm water and ongoing disturbance of rural way of life 11. This project is not needed to provide regional jobs – there is a huge workforce shortage for renewable energy projects and other industries in the Central West
Yours faithfully
Greg McKittrick

Ulan West Mine offers Critical Support for Communities and Energy Transition

1. **Essential Community Support**
- Mid-Western Regional Council in which the mine operates received millions of dollars in direct community funding from Ulan West operations since 2012. Approving the project approves continued support.
- Medical Access Milestone: Funded 2 permanent GPs in Gulgong (pop. 4,900 including surrounding areas) through "Doctors For Mudgee Region", eliminating the need for residents to drive at least 90 minutes 1 way for medical treatment because Doctors in Mudgee were full on their books. Stopping this project will make the Communities worse off here in the bush.
- Supports 38 local businesses through procurement contracts and through people employed by the mine being able to support local businesses through buying their commodities and using local services like accommodation.

2. **Strategic Energy Transition Role**
- Maintains grid reliability (provides 15% of NSW's winter peak demand)
- Funds renewable projects: 12MW Gulgong Electricity Generating Works (Solar Farms) financed through mine royalties paid by Ulan West Mine and others.
- Enables phased transition: "You don't demolish the old bridge before building the new one". Energy required for the transition into renewable energy.

3. **Sustainable Operations**
- Underground extraction minimizes surface impact (92% of operations below ground). Its doing what the mine is doing now for longer making people's lives better for longer.

Approval enables:
- Continued GP funding throughout the life of the mine. Approving this project approves ongoing funding.
- Managed transition avoiding energy price spikes

This project support regional communities jobs. If the mine life is not extended where are the workers going to get employment?
The town will become a ghost town. Community and public infrastructure and houses will be wasted.
If approved, the Ulan Coal Complex will be able to continue to:

Provide ongoing employment to our workforce;
Support businesses and suppliers – Ulan Complex spends around $470 million annually with more than 920 suppliers many of them local;
Pay taxes, royalties and other payments that help to fund vital public services such as infrastructure, teachers, nurses and police; and
Support local charities, not-for-profit organisations, and junior sporting clubs, as well as major projects such as the Mudgee 4 Doctors initiative, Country Universities Centre in Mudgee, and the Mudgee High School LINK Program.


In 2024, Ulan Coal Complex delivered more than $846 million in direct socio-economic value
This is an existing mine. There will be no change to the scale or intensity of mining and no increase to approved annual production rates. There is strong short to medium term demand for our high-quality coal, including from some of Australia’s most important trading partners.
It is certain that if approved, the Ulan Coal Complex will be able to continue to:
Support businesses and suppliers – Ulan Complex spends around $470 million annually with more than 920 suppliers many of them local;
Pay taxes, royalties and other payments that help to fund vital public services such as infrastructure, teachers, nurses and police; and
Support local charities, not-for-profit organisations, and junior sporting clubs, as well as major projects such as the Mudgee 4 Doctors initiative, Country Universities Centre in Mudgee, and the Mudgee High School LINK Program.
I am informed that in 2024, Ulan Coal Complex delivered more than $846 million in direct socio-economic value.
Please approve this project for our community to prosper.

Keep jobs and money in the local community

I object to this project on the grounds that it seriously threatens our water, climate, and wildlife. It is a major new project and must be subject to independent scrutiny.

Extending the life of mine for Ulan West will be good for many people in the Mudgee region as it employs hundreds of people and brings money to the town. This also helps other businesses in the Mudgee area.

Please see attached.

I support the project

I object to this project for the following reasons.

Vitally this proposed mine expansion should not be assessed as a modification because it falls entirely outside the current mining lease. Due to this new location the application should be regarded as new and assessed in its new location for all environmental and infrastructure impacts.

We have no further time to ignore climate change. Its effects must be taken into consideration in respect of new coal mining applications. Indeed, we are making significant progress developing renewable energy. Ironically, Ulan Coal Mine falls within the Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (CWOREZ). We simply have to accept that there must be no more coal mining if we are to have hope of maintaining a safe climate. There is no safe justification for permitting the Mod 8 application, which will mine a further 43 Mt up to 2041, releasing over 105 Mt of additional Greenhouse Gas emissions, as well as the poorly monitored methane gas emissions.

The proposed constructing of a large new tailings dam of 132 ha within a revegetated, rehabilitated old open cut pit next to Goulburn River presents a real risk of toxic contamination.

The potential impacts on the natural water flows within the water table and rivers west of the Great Dividing Range within the Murray Darling Basin is too great a risk to make this mining application acceptable.

There will be significant impact on Aboriginal cultural heritage and the spiritual landscape for the Wiradjuri Nation – impacts that must no longer be tolerated.

Similarly, this proposal, if permitted, will cause disturbance and potential damage to the natural environment of the sandstone escarpment, caves and overhangs. Whilst simultaneously affecting the important habitat for threatened species and the critically endangered Box Gum Woodland.

Socially, this proposal will increase the detrimental pressures on the local community, affecting more properties and private landholdings. It will not provide social benefit, there is a significant workforce shortage in the area and, indeed, those needing work would be well advised to look to the REZ.

This proposal should be rejected for our future in respect of climate change, for protection of Aboriginal heritage, the environment and the social wellbeing of those who live in the area.

I object to the proposal due to these conditions which are unacceptable
1. Increase of greenhouse gases of up to 45% and this not reducing our footprint
2. The failure to protect koalas, habitat highly important and more importantly the flora and fauna which are reliant on each other, removing the habitat endangers the survival rate of all species, which increases the Australian extinction rate.
3. The control of pollution from diesel, dust has not been proven effective, it still leaves site and impacts water collection in dams, water basins and household water collection systems, which has flow on effect to the environment, through contaminated of number of elements which are harmful to health
4.The prediction of reduced coal prices have been reported, is this really viable
5. The impacts on disturbance of the area, has flow on effects on the actual viability of land use in the future, in more importantly who will pay for these polluting toxic final voids in the future when this company leaves, it should not be the tax payer, the government is responsible to ensure there is funding for 100 years to cover the impacts, these companies state it would take this long. The amount would need to be considered billions
6. From the value general , number of years ago , they could not give land value of land with a final void. Consider the consequences of this on other properties in the area

Key points of objection:
1. Releasing over 105 Mt of additional Greenhouse Gas emissions, poor monitoring and
reporting of methane emissions.
2. Outside existing mine boundary with additional infrastructure disturbance - should be
assessed as a new project
3. Constructing a large new tailings dam area of 132 ha within a revegetated, rehabilitated
old open cut pit next to Goulburn River risking leakage of toxic contaminants
4. Wholly west of Great Dividing Range within the Murray Darling Basin - loss of flows to
Talbragar River, tributary of Macquarie River feeding into significant Macquarie Marshes
5. Extended water releases into Goulburn River increasing salt load downstream to Hunter
6. Loss of Aboriginal cultural heritage and spiritual landscape for Wiradjuri Nation –
impacting 71 known sites, including rock art
7. Disturbing an additional 1743 ha with sandstone escarpment, caves and overhangs:
Destroying additional important habitat for the nationally threatened Large-eared Pied
Bat, Eastern Cave Bat, Regent Honeyeater and Koala, critically endangered Box Gum
Woodland. Cumulative impact on these species across 3 mines in region.
8. Final layout of surface infrastructure not yet determined – mine plan not finalised
9. Undermining 17 private properties directly impacting 4 houses and 6 private bores
10. Increasing social impacts, loss of farm water and ongoing disturbance of rural way of life
11. This project is not needed to provide regional jobs – there is a huge workforce shortage
for renewable energy projects and other industries in the Central West

Please acknowledge receipt of submission

Our environment is already under extreme pressure which is totally unacceptable. The environment can't be fixed like a broken leg - once gone, gone forever.

Please see attached objection to Ulan Coal Mine Mod 8

Thank You

I object to the Ulan Mod 8 coal expansion. I don’t consider this request as a modest expansion. I see it as a major expansion that puts our water, climate, and wildlife at risk.
My key concerns with impacts of the Ulan Mod 8 expansion are as follows:
• It involves a six-year extension to the mine with an additional 43 million tonnes of coal.
• There will be massive emissions, by adding 105 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, a 45% increase.
• It will span major catchments with operations impacting both the Hunter and Murray-Darling basins, threatening water security.
• There is a risky tailings dam by expanding toxic waste storage near a river, risking seepage downstream into a national park.
• There will be habitat & species loss as it will clear 100+ hectares of native vegetation, including 34ha of Box Gum Woodland, impacting threatened species like the Regent Honeyeater and Koala.
• It will impact cultural heritage sites. There are 71 Aboriginal sites on Wiradjuri Country under a Native Title claim.
• It is a flawed process as it is assessed as a "modification” rather than a major expansion to avoid community scrutiny.

Pls see attachment

I object to the Mod8-Ulan West Continued Operations for the following reasons:

1) Extension of Coal Mining:
* It seeks to extend thermal coal mining for a further six years (to 2041), extracting an additional 43 million tonnes of coal - a
harmful and disruptive threat to the environment and farming in the area
* It would involve cumulative impacts of coal mining that straddles the 
Great-Dividing-Range affecting two major catchments:
the 
Murray-Darling Basin & Hunter River

2) Climate Impact:
* The project would add 105 Mt CO2-e of Scope 3 emissions, an additional 45% on the currently approved operations
(including Modification 6)

3) Water & Groundwater Damage:
* The expansion would reduce base flows to Talbragar River, threatening Macquarie Marshes (Ramsar-listed wetland) and
Goulburn-Hunter catchment;
* Over 15,000 tonne salt loads would be exported to the Goulburn and Hunter River system by extending Mine water
discharge six years;
* The plan to significantly increase toxic tailings dam infrastructure to the river edge (132 ha area) would risk seepage to river
flow and downstream Goulburn River National Park and The Drip Gorge ecosystem.

4) Biodiversity Loss:
* The project would negatively impact 101.45ha of native vegetation, 
including 34ha of Box Gum Woodland

5) Threatened Species:
* It would negatively affect habitats of endangered species, including: the Large-Eared Pied Bat and Eastern Cave Bat
* It would have direct impact on the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater (habitat in Mudgee-Wollar Key Biodiversity
Area)
* It would pose risks to Koalas and,Brush-tailed Rock Wallabies

6) Cultural Heritage Risk:
* The Project is on Wiradjuri Country subject to a Native Title Claim and will impact 71 known Aboriginal sites
* The area holds cultural significance for the Wiradjuri people

In addition to all the above negative outcomes if this project were to be approved, I believe that this is a flawed approval process. This Mod 8-Ulan West coal mining project should be assessed as a New Project – not as a Modification that conveniently removes scrutiny by the Independent Expert Panel for Mining. I therefore strongly object to this project going ahead and urgently request a review of the approval process for this specific proposed coal mining project.

I support this project