Modification 4 Longwall 317 and 318 Modification

I regard this project has high risk on a number of levels but most importantly it is in an area of the northern Wollongong LGA which is extremely environmentally sensitive. The proponent has also proven to NOT be a good corporate citizen and based on their awful track record and the way they have treated their workforce and the environment the mine is located in this should be refused, Peabody cannot be trusted to act responsibly. How many chances should they get? The risks if this project is allowed to proceed include the dangers of subsidence, gas escaping through cracks and damage to upland swamps. In my view we should never ever mine under a major city's water catchment area and that's exactly what this application seeks to do. The Woronora Reservoir supplies drinking water to the northern Illawarra. It is hard to believe the state government would permit dangerous and destructive longwall mining under the Woronora Reservoir. I support a proposal put to the Wollongong Council that this should be referred to the Independent Planning Commission for a public meeting and subsequent determination.
I have spoken with retired coal miner Darryl Best who sums up the situation best, "All mines cause subsidence to the surface that they mine under, I know what happens when you mine under all these areas, There's cracks. there's creeks disappear, there's swamps disappear, the ground subsides, rock platforms fall down. I've worked in a coal mine where the actual mountain disappeared," Darryl said. Peabody is using job losses as an excuse for the project being required, but that is a reckless reason to destroy the environment. I urge the government to reject this proposal and thank you for the opportunity to comment.

I object to the proposal. Continued coal mining within the Special Areas of the Woronora Catchment is a threat to Sydney's drinking water, which is already under multiple threats from climate change and PFAS contamination. The longwall panels are close to the Woronora Reservoir, which is a crucial asset for regional water security. It places swamps at risk - swamps serve an important ecological purpose and their destruction has many downstream effects. This fragile ecosystem is also habitat for endangered species, including the critically endangered swift parrot. I am deeply concerned about maintaining a safe water supply for my region, especially in the context of rapidly accelerating climate change which state and federal governments have decided not to act on. I urge you to decline the modification.

The Peabody Energy mine is threatening not only the drinking water catchment in Woronora, but it threatens the ecosystems in the Royal National Park, which is my local backyard. I value this natural area and spend a lot of time hiking and swimming there with family and friends, connecting with nature.
In March 2025, I learned that Peabody was convicted of two pollution events that occurred in the royal national park in 2022 that resulted in black coal sludge contaminating the river system. They were fined $196,560, but able to continue their business. This seems like a slap on the wrist with little consequence. How can we even contemplate allowing them to expand their operations when they show such negligence.
The modification proposal could damage the Woronora catchment, impacting the drinking water supplies for the Sutherland Shire and Northern Illawarra LGAs. The additional longwall mining is likely to further impact the swamps and wetlands at the surface, which are already drying up.
Surface cracking is also linked to contaminant leaching into surface water and groundwater. The extent of this impact could be significant as there is the potential for contaminants to travel through aquifers and fractured rock long distances
Peabody has proposed clearing 4 hectares of vegetation for the construction of the modification proposal in sensitive ecological areas surrounded by coastal upland swamps. My experience in the UK is that no development would be approved on a sensitive ecological area and that a buffer zone would be required. So, I’m truly puzzled that this would even be considered in NSW. Equally, if the modification goes ahead, it’s my understanding that Peabody would operate under their original licence agreement from 2009, which likely has lighter environmental controls.
Lastly, as NSW has a plan to transition to renewable energy, I’d like to know how NSW can support ongoing and additional coal mining. This is in direct contradiction to the state governments renewable energy framework.

My name is Harpreet Kaur Dhillon, and I am writing as a concerned community member who has spent many years appreciating and protecting the local environment. I strongly oppose the proposed modification to expand longwall mining beneath the Woronora Catchment.

The Woronora Catchment’s most important role is to provide safe, clean drinking water for the public. Nothing should come before this. Reports by independent scientists, WaterNSW, and government departments all make it clear that longwall mining in this catchment has already caused damage far worse than initially predicted. To knowingly expand mining in such a fragile and vital area is reckless and deeply irresponsible.

The Independent Expert Advisory Panel for Mining (IEAPM) has already raised serious concerns about the existing impacts of the Metropolitan Mine, noting that it “cannot rule out” significant adverse effects on the catchment. WaterNSW also warned as early as 2019 that the damage from longwall mining had exceeded what was predicted, calling for strict limits on future mining. Attempts to fix the damage, such as injecting polyurethane resin into cracked swamps, are limited, uncertain, and sometimes ineffective. An open letter from 20 independent scientists also warned against relying on remediation or treatment after the fact, reminding us that prevention is the only responsible option when it comes to protecting water.

The ecological damage is not abstract, it is ongoing, visible, and in many cases irreversible. A 2024 study confirmed that the loss of upland swamps caused by longwall mining is likely permanent. These swamps are critical natural systems that filter and release water, directly affecting the quality of the drinking supply. Their loss also threatens the survival of endangered species such as the Giant Dragonfly, the Giant Burrowing Frog, Littlejohn’s Tree Frog, and the Red-crowned Toadlet.

What makes this proposal even more concerning is that Peabody also wants to clear four hectares of vegetation to construct an industrial ventilation shaft in an ecologically sensitive area. Ordinary community members risk fines of up to $44,000 for simply walking in this same protected space, yet a coal company is being granted licence to destroy it.

The current licence for this mine is outdated, having been granted back in 2009 before our current knowledge of longwall mining’s impacts. It allows for offsets, meaning priceless natural systems like creeks and swamps could be destroyed and then “replaced” on paper. But no financial offset can ever substitute for the real, living ecosystems that provide us with safe water and biodiversity.

It is also impossible to ignore Peabody’s track record. In 2022, their negligence led to pollution spilling into Camp Gully Creek. They had known for three years that their tailings dam was over capacity, yet failed to act until it overflowed. In 2025, they were fined nearly half a million dollars in total, but for a billion-dollar company this is little more than a minor inconvenience. Their consistent breaches and disregard for environmental protections show they cannot be trusted with the health of our drinking water.

Peabody’s mine has harmed both the Woronora and the Hacking catchments. WaterNSW itself has stated there should be no option to remediate or offset significant impacts on swamps and watercourses. And yet, this proposal continues down a path of short-term profit at the expense of long-term health and safety.

For myself, my community, and future generations, I cannot accept the risk of losing the integrity of the Woronora drinking water catchment. Water is life, and once lost, no amount of money or remediation can bring it back. I urge the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure to reject this proposal and to prioritise the long-term health of our water, our ecosystems, and the communities that depend on them.

Sincerely,
Harpreet Kaur Dhillon

The Peabody Energy mine is threatening not only the drinking water catchment in Woronora, but it threatens the ecosystems in the Royal National Park, the oldest park in Australia and where I live and am raising a family.
In March 2025, I learned that Peabody was convicted of two pollution events that occurred in the royal national park in 2022 that resulted in black coal sludge contaminating the river system. They were fined $196,560, but able to continue their business. This seems like a slap on the wrist with very little consequence. How can we even contemplate allowing them to expand their operations when they show such negligence?
The modification proposal could damage the Woronora catchment further, impacting the drinking water supplies for the Sutherland Shire and Northern Illawarra LGAs. The additional longwall mining is likely to further impact the swamps and wetlands at the surface, which are already drying up.
Surface cracking is also linked to contaminant leaching into surface water and groundwater. The extent of this impact could be significant as there is the potential for contaminants to travel through aquifers and fractured rock long distances.
Peabody has proposed clearing 4 hectares of vegetation for the construction of the modification proposal in sensitive ecological areas surrounded by coastal upland swamps. Equally, if the modification goes ahead, it’s my understanding that Peabody would operate under their original licence agreement from 2009, which likely has lighter environmental controls.
Lastly, as NSW has a plan to transition to renewable energy, I’d like to know how NSW can support ongoing and additional coal mining. This is in direct contradiction to the state government’s renewable energy planning framework: https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/policy-and-legislation/renewable-energy/renewable-energy-planning-framework
I am also interested in seeing the environmental impact statement associated with the modification proposal.

The Peabody Energy mine is threatening not only the drinking water catchment in Woronora, but it threatens the ecosystems in the Royal National Park, which is my local backyard. I value this natural area and spend a lot of time hiking and swimming there with family and friends, connecting with nature.
In March 2025, I learned that Peabody was convicted of two pollution events that occurred in the royal national park in 2022 that resulted in black coal sludge contaminating the river system. They were fined $196,560, but able to continue their business. This seems like a slap on the wrist with little consequence. How can we even contemplate allowing them to expand their operations when they show such negligence.
The modification proposal could damage the Woronora catchment, impacting the drinking water supplies for the Sutherland Shire and Northern Illawarra LGAs. The additional longwall mining is likely to further impact the swamps and wetlands at the surface, which are already drying up.
Surface cracking is also linked to contaminant leaching into surface water and groundwater. The extent of this impact could be significant as there is the potential for contaminants to travel through aquifers and fractured rock long distances
Peabody has proposed clearing 4 hectares of vegetation for the construction of the modification proposal in sensitive ecological areas surrounded by coastal upland swamps. The reality of a development of this nature being approved on a sensitive ecological area without a buffer zone is truly puzzling and unbelievable that it would even be considered in NSW. Equally, if the modification goes ahead, it’s my understanding that Peabody would operate under their original licence agreement from 2009, which likely has lighter environmental controls.
Lastly, as NSW has a plan to transition to renewable energy, I’d like to know how NSW can support ongoing and additional coal mining. This is in direct contradiction to the state government’s renewable energy planning framework. https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/policy-and-legislation/renewable-energy/renewable-energy-planning-framework
I would also like to see the environmental impact statement associated with the modification proposal.

Please see submission letter attached

Peabody Metropolitan Colliery (MP08_0149) Longwall 317 and 318

Current Environmental Protections and the current proposal by Peabody
The current modification, with the 2009 original conditions of approval, would not be passed today and must be brought before the Independent Planning Commission to ensure that all catchments are protected. Approval of this project, will set a precedent to Mining Corporation's that they can mine in Protected Areas and it undermines the WaterNSWs legislated objectives, as demonstrated below;

Irreversible damage to Woronora Reservoir Catchment
Peabody estimates that six, endangered coastal upland, swamps maybe destroyed, 4 hectares in the middle of swampland are required to build an industrial area with a ventilation shaft, trucks will move within the area, a spoil stockpile, waste sediment pond, and carpark will all be located in the protected catchment area. This catchment supplies clean drinking water to Sutherland Shire and Northern Illawarra residents. The proposal is an unacceptable risk to human life and endangered species. Government agencies have identified the risk to our water supply from the damage this mine has already caused. WaterNSW statutory obligations must be upheld, as a matter of public health, safety and for the protection of the environment and all animal species.

Further Implications to the Hacking River Catchment / Royal National Park
The proposal presents an ongoing and unacceptable risk to Royal National Park because the issues with the old Helensburgh train tunnel have still not been addressed by the EPA and a landslide occurred and water disgorged from the tunnel
over the coal stockpile there is nothing to stop further damage to the Royal.

Approval of this project will send a message to residents of both Local Government Areas that our State Government doesn’t have our health and wellbeing or the environment at the heart of its planning decisions. In the interests of the health and wellbeing of residents this proposal must be rejected.

The Peabody Energy mine is threatening not only the drinking water catchment in Woronora, but it threatens the ecosystems in the Royal National Park and all the living organisms within that park, which is my local backyard. As a scientist and a resident of Sydney, I value this natural area. I spend a lot of time hiking and swimming there with family and friends while connecting with nature.

In March 2025, I learned that Peabody was convicted of two pollution events that occurred in the royal national park in 2022 that resulted in black coal sludge contaminating the river system. They were fined $196,560, but able to continue their business - that fine is an embarrassment as it's not even a slap on the wrist and has no consequences for their operation. They must be held accountable. How can we even contemplate allowing them to expand their operations when they show such negligence in human and non-human health.

The modification proposal could damage the Woronora catchment, impacting the drinking water supplies for the Sutherland Shire and Northern Illawarra LGAs. The additional longwall mining is likely to further impact the swamps and wetlands at the surface, which have are already drying up. This is going to irreparably damage Sydney and cause major health concerns. Surface cracking is also linked to contaminant leaching into surface water and groundwater, the extent of this impact could be significant as there is the potential for contaminants to travel through aquifers and fractured rock long distances. This will eventually lead to a class action lawsuit. It is not worth the damage that this will cause, especially given the fact that solar and wind are about to take over the energy generation. This mine is not needed and it is an embarrassment that our government is even considering it.

Peabody has proposed clearing 4 hectares of vegetation for the construction of the modification proposal in sensitive ecological area surrounded by coastal upland swamps. My experience in Canada is that no development would be approved on a sensitive ecological area and that a buffer zone would be required. So, I’m truly puzzled that this would even be considered in NSW. Equally, if the modification goes ahead, it’s my understanding that Peabody would operate under their original licence agreement from 2009 which likely has lighter environmental controls.

As a scientist (evolutionary biologist and ecologist), I cannot believe that my government - that represents me, my children and my future children - is not considereing the extraordinary impact that this will make on the health of current and future Sydney residents. I have spent a large amount of time exploring and researching the animals around Sydney, and this will lead to their eventual demise.

Lastly, as NSW has a plan to transition to renewable energy, I’d like to know how we can support ongoing and additional coal mining. This is in direct contradiction to the state government’s renewable energy planning framework. https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/policy-and-legislation/renewable-energy/renewable-energy-planning-framework

I would like to see the environmental impact statement associated with the modification proposal as I cannot believe that this has been done properly.

Ok here's my text:
The Peabody Energy mine is threatening not only the drinking water catchment in Woronora, but it threatens the ecosystems in the Royal National Park, which is my local backyard. I value this natural area and spend a lot of time hiking and swimming there with family and friends, connecting with nature.
In March 2025, I learned that Peabody was convicted of two pollution events that occurred in the royal national park in 2022 that resulted in black coal sludge contaminating the river system. They were fined $196,560, but able to continue their business. This seems like a slap on the wrist with little consequence. How can we even contemplate allowing them to expand their operations when they show such negligence.
The modification proposal could damage the Woronora catchment, impacting the drinking water supplies for the Sutherland Shire and Northern Illawarra LGAs. The additional longwall mining is likely to further impact the swamps and wetlands at the surface, which are already drying up.
Surface cracking is also linked to contaminant leaching into surface water and groundwater. The extent of this impact could be significant as there is the potential for contaminants to travel through aquifers and fractured rock long distances
Peabody has proposed clearing 4 hectares of vegetation for the construction of the modification proposal in sensitive ecological areas surrounded by coastal upland swamps. My experience in Canada is that no development would be approved on a sensitive ecological area and that a buffer zone would be required. So, I’m truly puzzled that this would even be considered in NSW. Equally, if the modification goes ahead, it’s my understanding that Peabody would operate under their original licence agreement from 2009, which likely has lighter environmental controls.
Lastly, as NSW has a plan to transition to renewable energy, I’d like to know how NSW can support ongoing and additional coal mining. This is in direct contradiction to the state government’s renewable energy planning framework. https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/policy-and-legislation/renewable-energy/renewable-energy-planning-framework
I am also interested in seeing the environmental impact statement associated with the modification proposal.

See attached file

Michael Nicholson Consulting Pty Ltd, together with its subsidiary company Geomatix, has worked with Metropolitan Coal Mine for the past 15 years on numerous subsidence monitoring activities. These works have primarily involved precise survey monitoring of sensitive features within the water catchment area.

Over the past eight years, we have collaborated closely with Metropolitan Coal’s Technical Services Department in the development and implementation of autonomous, high-precision, real-time monitoring instruments. More than 30 of these instruments are currently installed throughout the water catchment area, continuously monitoring three-dimensional positions and ground movements. These instruments are integrated with approved TARPs and configured to issue SMS-triggered alarms directly to the management team if performance criteria are exceeded, enabling immediate action when required.

I have served as a subject matter expert in survey monitoring on numerous Metropolitan Coal technical committees over the past ten years. During this time, we / Metropolitan Coal have consistently demonstrated that our technology and rigorous management practices are capable of meeting all approval conditions.

Cooper Riach
26th August 2025
RE: Peabody Metropolitan Mine, Modification 4 Longwalls 317 and 318

I am writing as a concerned resident of the Sutherland Shire to express my strong opposition to Peabody’s proposed Mod 4. I live in the town of Bundeena, one of the localities which relies on the Woronora Catchment for drinking water. For the last 3 years, alongside other locals, I have been documenting many of the major instances of pollution released into the Royal National Park from the surface facilities of the Peabody Metropolitan Colliery.

The severity and frequency of these releases of coal waste is unacceptable, and it is clear that this mine is unable to operate without causing significant adverse effects to the local environment.

With my own hands I have held the thick, black, tar-like coal waste product which has been released into Camp Gully Creek on numerous occasions. This coal sludge took up to a week to be scrubbed clean from under my nails. It is a horrifying sight, and one can only imagine the damage it is doing to the sensitive organisms which call this creek, and the Hacking River which it flows into, home. This is of particular concern when considering the recent release of Platypus into the Hacking River. Such large quantities of coal fines can smother the gills of the sensitive macroinvertebrates which platypus feed on. Should another major spill event occur, which is entirely likely since there are currently no adequate risk management plans in place to prevent such events, it could pose an existential threat to the platypus.

In March, 2025, Peabody was convicted in the Land and Environment Court and fined $196,560 for the pollution events of 2022. For a company which makes billions in income in Australia and pays zero tax, this is a wholly inconsequential amount. In the caselaw documents relevant to this court case, Peabody admitted that they were aware of their tailings dams being oversilted and that they were aware of the possibility of an overflow event for at least over a year before the September 2022 spill event occurred. With this in mind I call into question the good faith that this company purports to have in regard to protecting the local environment in which it is operating. It seems the company decided that it would be cheaper to accept a fine in court than it would be to properly remediate their waste storage facilities and appropriately dispose of their waste product. Still to this day there are countless chunks of coal to be found littered along the bed and banks of the Hacking River all the way down to Audley Weir, and even beyond.

The environmental damage to the river will never be properly remediated, and a fine cannot undo the amount of damage this company has caused. If Peabody cannot operate without causing significant pollution in Australia’s Oldest National Park, then it should not be allowed to operate further. It should certainly not be allowed to expand its operations as proposed in Modification 4.

The Wornora Catchment is a critical public asset. The catchment’s primary function as a drinking water supply is unequivocally the most important short, medium, and long term use for this area. Coal mining on the other hand provides only short to medium term economic benefits to the region. The Woronora Catchment area has already suffered numerous detrimental impacts as a result of Peabody’s longwall mining operations.

Longwall mining causes subsidence and cracking of the surface level stone. In a fragile water catchment such as Woronora, this is leading to damage to the fragile upland swamps, streams, creeks, and rivulets which make up the catchment. While Peabody likes to downplay the damage that they are doing to these swamps, they are also quite open in their reporting that these swamps will suffer adverse impacts as a result of their longwall mining.

The Coastal Upland Swamps, aside from being a critical natural resource for the filtration of water flowing into the catchment, are also listed as an Endangered Ecological Community under the Threatened Species Conservation Act. Subsidence damage to upland swamp ecosystems is considered to be irreversible, meaning that the damage that Peabody has already caused to the Woronora Catchment’s swamps, as well as the damage which will be caused by the proposed modification, will effectively kill these ecosystems forever and nullify all of the invaluable ecosystem services they provide.

These vital ecosystems are also home to numerous threatened species, such as the Giant Dragonfly (Petalura gigantea), Giant Burrowing Frog (Heleioporus australiacus), Littlejohn’s Tree Frog (Litoria littlejohni), and Red-crowned Toadlet (Pseudophryne australis).

The original planning consent for the longwalls, which this modification proposes to add to, was granted in 2009. Environmental regulations, as well as our scientific understanding of the damage which longwall mining causes to water catchment areas, have improved significantly since 2009. Peabody’s proposal to add new longwalls further in the protected Woronora Catchment area should be brought before the Independent Planning Panel.
Should the modification be approved under the original 2009 conditions, Peabody would be legally allowed to purchase offsets to justify irreversible damage to the protected water catchment. That is unacceptable, and something which the community at large will no longer tolerate. Public awareness about the impacts of mining under catchments has significantly increased in recent years, and so I would predict some significant public outcry should this modification be approved. I sincerely hope that the department chooses the long-term safety and security of such a critical piece of public infrastructure, over the short-term profits of an American mining giant.

Thank you for the opportunity to make submissions.

Warmly, and with hope
Cooper

Please find my submission attached

I fully support Metropolitan mine's application to modify its existing operations on the basis of the critical economic and social benefits the mine delivers to the Illawarra region as a major employer, partner to local businesses and supplier of metallurgical coal to the local steelworks. The mine supports hundreds of local jobs, injects hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy in wages and supplier contracts and donates to many local community groups, sporting groups and local charities, including a recent significant donation to encourage platypus populations in the Royal National Park. The coal the mine produces is currently the only affordable heating source to produce steel which is so essential for our daily lives and very important to protect the jobs at the local steelworks as well. I understand community interest in the mine's environmental performance but note that there is no evidence to suggest the mines activities have affected water supply in the Woronora reservoir and that the mine has taken steps to improve its stormwater management during times of very heavy rainfall. I have full confidence in the NSW Planning Department's assessment of this modification application and that they will appropriately balance environmental, social and economic matters when making their decision.

Drinking water is a precious and scarce resource. The entire city depends on it. It is unacceptable to risk the health of millions of people and the public's right to access safe, fresh drinking water just to allow long wall mining for profit in the vicinity of crucial catchment areas.

Sydney drinking water already has hazardous to health pollution from so-called "forever chemicals" which can cause cancer. Cataract and Cordeaux dams already have a accumulation of mining sludge that's over 90 times higher than safe allowable levels.

What happens when mining for profit pollutes the drinking water supply and drains some waterways by cracking the rock (as has already happened, see Pool N, previously a permanent water pool of water that flowed into Woronora dam, which survived drought but was drained through cracks caused by mining). WaterNSW has reported that mining in the Woronora catchment area has caused ‘environmental consequences [that] have caused (or are likely to cause) breaches in conditions in the relevant development consents, including performance criteria to protect watercourses and Sydney’s drinking water catchment’ and ‘that there are numerous deficiencies in the manner that analysis and modelling is currently being used to support mining applications in the catchment.’ Recent mining activity has proven itself to be unsafe in the water catchment area.

Please prioritise the public's right to access an essential resource of safe drinking water over a mining company's wish to permanently endanger that life supporting supply. They can't guarantee that they won't irreversibly pollute and deplete important flows in the water catchment area. Please also elevate the crucial environmental values of water in the local habitats in an already dry environment that is suffering threats of increased drought and fire due to human accelerated climate change.

I object to this modification because longwall mining creates fractures in the ground from the mined seam to the surface. This will change the hydrology of the landscape - diverting surface water underground where it picks up mine pollutants. The Independent Planning Commission hearing into the Dendrobium longwall expansion application reported in 2021 that longwall mining has "an irreversible damaging effect" to the drinking water catchment. I’m concerned that the proposed Metropolitan mine expansion in the Woronora drinking water catchment will also cause irreversible damage.

I am dismayed that new longwalls and first workings are being applied for based on an original project approval in 2009. At the time the NSW Minister for Mineral Resources was Ian Macdonald, who is currently serving a jail sentence for corrupt conduct. Since then there has been a report from the Independent Expert Panel for Mining in the Catchment, issued in 2019, in which Sydney Water recommended “restrictions on future mining at Dendrobium and Metropolitan”, and “Less reliance on remediation as a mitigation measure”. There should be a new and robust assessment of the environmental impact and water security of this proposal. A modification application is insufficient. If I would welcome this project being referred to the Independent
I object to mitigation measures that are not workable. Metropolitan mine has tried to glue the river bed back together and it has failed. We have seen fines issued when Metropolitan mine infrastructure has failed and caused significant pollution of the Royal National Park. What is needed is prevention. Please reject this expansion proposal, and ensure that no further damage is done within the Sydney-Illawarra Special Areas.

I am concerned that the surface water loss caused by mine subsidence will negatively impact Aboriginal cultural heritage. The streams provide axe-sharpening groove sites that rely on surface water for context. If the area around the streams is undermined then the streams will also experience a loss of water- and the on-going cultural practice of using those sites is degraded.
I object to the degradation of plant and animal habitat and eco-systems including those recognised as threatened and vulnerable:

Animal species: Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua), Eastern Pygmy-possum, and Giant Dragonfly (Petalura gigantea) , Giant Burrowing Frog, Littlejohn’s Treefrog, Red-crowned Toadlet, Giant Burrowing Frog, • Broad-headed Snake, Large-eared Pied Bat

Plant species: Bauer’s Midge Orchid, Deane’s Paperbark, Eastern Australian Ground Orchid, Gyrostemon theisoides, Hairy Geebung, Scrub Turpentine, Slaty Leek Orchid, Sublime Point Pomaderris, Thick-leaf Star-hair

Endangered ecological community: Coastal Upland Swamps

“Offsets” are insufficient to justify damaging the coastal upland swamps and the habitat of these vulnerable and threatened plant and animal species.

I am also concerned that dewatering the landscape will result in peat swamps burning. If left intact they will recover from fire, continuing to sequester carbon within the peat. But if undermined they will never recover. Please see the attached photos from Dr Emma Spencer that illusrate this.

Total catchment protection is warranted to ensure biodiversity protection, water security and the preservation of Aboriginal cultural heritage. Please reject this modification proposal.

Please see attached PDF for detailed comments in regard to our objection.

Please see attachment.

1. Given that global temperatures have already increased 1.5 degrees as a result of burning fossil fuels, coal mining needs to be phased out, not extended.
2. As neither the Government of New South Wales nor the Australian Government are on track to reach their carbon neutral targets, it is irresponsible for the New South Wales Government to allow the extension of the Metropolitan mine into an area not previously gazetted for mining.
3. Water on earth is finite, the human population is increasing and water catchments need protection.
4. There is a significant body of evidence to show that long wall mining in the Royal National Park and the Illawarra has caused irreparable rock cracking, subsidence affecting stream flows, and has released and is continuing to release copious amounts of methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Metropolitan is now the fifth highest Scope 1 emitter among all NSW coal mines.
5. Upland Swamp S 106 is at risk from this mine extension. Given the increasing likelihood of increased torrential downpours interspersed with droughts caused by climate change, upland swamps are essential to store water during wets and release it during dry times.
6. The proposal threatens the ecology of a unique ecological zone that includes six birds vulnerable to extinction and the critically endangered Swift Parrot.
I strongly object to this proposal.