Modification 4 Longwall 317 and 318 Modification

As a concerned Sutherland Shire resident I object to approval being given to Peabody's extension of long wall mining which already has had deleterious effects on our precious drinking water catchment.
I have seen images of cracks in the surface rock above the mine and I am also concerned about subsidence which leads to damage of the protected swamps. These swamps are natural filtration systems and they are listed as an Endangered Ecological Community under the Threatened Species Conservation Act.
It seems to me that this company is all about big profits and this important area is not the place for an extended area of long wall mining.

I am a consultant to the coal mining industry, including to Metropolitan Mine. I have expertise in the subsidence field and believe that the conservative mine layout proposed will ensure that there is not connected fracturing between the mine workings and the surface and hence no loss of water from the catchment or reservoir into the mine workings.
The ongoing operation of the mine will support many jobs in the Illawarra, including those within my business, and hence is a positive contributor to the local economy. The world will require high quality coking coal for the foreseeable future (there are currently not developed alternatives for primary steel making) and so the mine contributes to Australia's economy as well as global prosperity.

As a resident of the Royal National Park I am extremely concerned at the proposal to extend Peabody mines. I have already seen the damage caused by Peabody within our Park with thick sludge sighted in the waterways. … underneath our drinking water supply.- it seems unbelievable that those in charge would risk this company when they have shown themselves to be irresponsible in the past with fines against them . Please reconsider any permits for Peabody to go ahead and risk our health.

Being part of the Peabody team, I support this project and believe it to be of great value to the local and wider communities in NSW and Australia.

I am in support of this project. Peabody has played an active role in the Helensburgh and Illawarra communities for generations, and Metropolitan Mine continues to be a major contributor to our local economy and way of life.

It currently employs a local workforce of around 400 individuals, which includes many of my colleagues. I work for one of the contracting companies that supports the mine, and we have over 100 contractors who rely on this site for steady employment. The proposed extension would help keep us working and provide much-needed stability for our families and the businesses we support.

That extra time means continued jobs, ongoing investment in the region, and support for local suppliers.

Peabody has also shown a strong commitment to environmental responsibility, with real efforts to reduce the mine’s footprint and protect surrounding ecosystems. Their investment in water management and conservation projects speaks volumes about their approach.

I hope this application is approved.

I support the Metropolitan Mine Modification as it will secure local jobs, sustain economic contributions to the Illawarra community, and ensure continued supply of steelmaking coal without expanding the mine’s footprint. The project balances economic benefits with strong environmental commitments, making it important for both our region and industry.

I support this project because of the economic impact that this project will have on the local community inclusive of supporting 400 local jobs.
This industry also contributes significantly to the NSW Economy i.e.: last year paid $49m in royalities and the mine is also investing in local conversation programs.

Metropolitan Mine currently supports hundreds of local jobs and the continuation of the mine in accordance with the planned extension will create even more direct employment opportunities.
Beyond its capacity to directly supply jobs, the mine utilises many local services and suppliers as part of its operations. This injects money into the local economy indirectly.

I wish to object to the Mining project based on 3 primary areas of concern: The important significance of the Aboriginal cultural landscape across the area; the site location as part of the Sydney Water Catchment and possible permanent damage to quality drinking water; plus this site's direct link from the Illawarra border to the Wollindilly Koala protection areas. The koalas north of Picton Road to Campbelltown are part of the only population in the State that is disease free. Koala sitings have been recorded both sides of the 'border' notably within the Illawarra escarpment.

To whom it concerns,

I am a mother, bushwalker, social worker and active community volunteer and I am writing to urge you to reject further expansion of the destructive and polluting Peabody coal mine under the Woronora water catchment.

This project does not meet the expectations of the community and does not have social license to expand.
Sydney is one of the only places in the world that allows mining underneath it's crucial water infrastructure.
Peabody mine initially claimed that there was no damage, now they promise to remediate with the absolutely laugable solution of injecting polyurethane into the cracked rocks.

Expanding this mine threatens the safety of water security for the whole of Sydney, as well as damaging critical threatened ecosystems in the hanging swamp by cracking the rocks beneath the swamp and causing water loss. This swamp is needed to filter drinking water, as a habitat for threatened animals and as a buffer against bushfires made inevitably more intense by climate breakdown.

Additionally, cracking in the rocks has led to harmful chemicals leeching into the surface water, as well as pollution in the creeks and the Port Hacking river.

Peabody are not responsible or trustworthy operators. There have been multiple coal waste spills contaminating the Royal National Park in recent years which were entirely predictable and preventable.

This modifcation should be brought before the Independant Planning Panel. The environmental conditions applied to this project when it was approved in 2009 are not fit for purpose and have not worked to protect the sensitive habitat that this mine is located within.

Purchasing offsets cannot replace the crucial hanging swamp or the critical water infrastucture it provides. As a resident of the Sutherland Shire I urge you to please reject the proposed expansion.

The Woronora catchment is critical infrastructure that needs your protection. Thank you.

I think it is a terrible idea to allow Peabody Mines to expand their operation under the river and its catchment area, used for drinking water for the Sutherland shire. They have had a number of spills already, and the fines are tiny. It would be bad enough if they were an Australian company, but the profits go to America.
Our drinking water, and the rivers that support our wildlife are much too important for coal mining to occur underneath.
It's bad enough what they have done and are doing. An expansion would be criminal.

I am writing to object to this project which proposes to extend mining further into the Woronora catchment area and place our clean drinking water at significant risk. Longwall mining has already caused irreversible damage to critically endangered upland swamps, which are also home to many endangered species. This proposed expansion will cause further damage, additionally resulting in metal contaminants leaching into surface water and groundwater which flows into the reservoir.
Peabody Mining has already been found guilty in the Land and Environment Court of polluting the Royal National Park with numerous coal waste spills. This damage has not been remediated. There are now platypus residing in the Royal National Park, and there is no adequate risk management plan for dealing with further pollution. This is not a suitable location for a coal mine. Under the original 2009 licence Peabody will be allowed to purchase offsets against future damage. This does nothing to address the damage. I enjoy being able to drink clean water and I enjoy bush walking in the Royal National Park, the second oldest national park in the world. This is a valuable resource and we should not allow a company that pays no tax in Australia destroy it.

The Royal National Park is the second oldest National Park in the world. The mine in question has previously been found guilty of pollution of this precious environment.
I do not visit frequently but over the last year the three times I have visited there were huge pieces of coal littering the surrounds of the river .
Apart from the huge environmental damage it is humiliating that visitors see us treating this beautiful environment with disregard .
It is a huge tourist attraction and attracts tourists from all over the world.
I personally know of wealthy Americans who travel here for guided bird walks.
Threatening the quality of drinking water is bizarre.
Nothing is worth more to life than good quality drinking water.
Our reliance upon data centres for all of modern life , from transport , health , industry means water supply is even vital. It is acknowledged that data centres are huge users of water.
The long wall nature of the method of mining is very damaging to the swamps and associated wild life above .
If the coal that is extracted via this method is so vitally important then a less damaging method could be used .

I am greatly concerned about the proposal and potential damage to the water table. I believe the threat of harm to the National Park out weighs any proposed positive benefits of this project. In addition to environmental harm the reputation of both the state of New South Wales and the nation is at stake.
Thank you for your consideration.

Peabody has already done considerable damage to the catchment of the Woronora dam and this expansion will continue the destruction of a unique source of unpolluted drinking water for a growing Sydney.
The company has a poor record covering environmental spills, worker relations and pays little tax in Australia from vast revenues.
The building of a 4 ha ventilation shaft in the middle of the catchment along with numerous access roads is totally destructive when they failed to build a similar proposal from their original submission in a far less intrusive area.
This proposal should not be treated as a modification but submitted as a new proposal with full and proper review of the full impact on the catchment of the Woronora and the many upstream swamps and creeks.
The fact that they can use this modification to expand into areas under their adjoining mining exploration area circumvents proper state overview of what is a major intrusion into what is supposed to be a protected area.
Under current state management Peabody Metropolitan Colliery seems to work with State Authorities to allow pollution and irreparable damage for a slap on the wrist. Their "repair" to extensive cracking by using a "gap filler" is a joke and is a telling indictment of the company and state government authorities. Their should be an ICAC investigation into the process.
If they were required to lodge a bond with the state government that will cover the billions of future dollars to remediate the destruction of this mining on the Hacking and Woronora we would see a true cost that the community will bear.

Peabody Energy's Modification 4 Proposal

There has been significant damage to the woronora catchment. The Metropolitan Colliery is a longwall mine. Longwall mine causes subsidence & cracking of the surface level stone, which has already lead to many of the fragile upland swamps, creeks & streams above the existing longwalls to run dry. These surface cracks result in metal contaminants leeching into the surface water. This catchment supplies clean drinking water to the Sutherland Shire & Northern Illawarra.
The coastal upland swamps found in the woronora catchment are nature's water filteration systems. Damage to upland swamps is irreversible & can not be remediated. Coastal upland swamps are classified as an endangered ecological community at risk of extinction. Peabody has proseed clearing of 4ha of vegetation for the construction of an industral ventilation shaft site, in a senstive ecological area surrounded by coastal upland swamp. This is in the same area where bushwalkers will be fined $44k for risk of contamination to the catchment. In this same area endangered ecological community under the threatened species conservation act include - giant dragonfly (petalura gigantea)- eastern ground parrot (Pezoporus wallicus) - Giant Burrowing Frog (Heleioporus australiacus) - Littlejohn Tree Frog - Red-crowned Toadlet - Koala many also inhabit the area.
Numerous major coal waste spills in the last few years, each of which has resulted in thick black coal sludge contamination the waters of The Royal National Park. The environment damage to the river will never be properly remediated. A fine can not undo the amount of damage this pollution has caused. The risk to the RNP is ongoing and coal is still littered along the banks of the Hacking River. In March 2025, Peabody was convicted in the Land & Environment Court and fined $196,560 for the pollution events in 2022, a pitiful fine for a company which makes billions in income in Australia. Should another spoil occur, it could pose an existential risk to the platypus which have been reintroduced to the Hacking River Catchment. Coal fines can smother & kill sensitive aquatic macroinvertebrates which platypus feed on. The mines surface facilities are not suitable to deal with an operation this size. Peabody stll has no adequate risk management plans to deal with further coal spills into thr RNP. This is simply an unsuitable location for the coal mine.
I live near these areas and I am deeply protective of the ecosystem. The Woronora Catchment, Royal National Park, and the surrounding upland swamps are irreplaceable natural assets that provide vital clean drinking water, biodiversity, and habitat for endangered species.
It is unacceptable that operations of this scale, with a proven record of environmental harm, are permitted to continue in such a sensitive and critical area. The long-term risks to our water supply, native species, and protected ecological communities far outweigh any short-term economic gain.
I urge you to take immediate action to protect the Woronora Catchment and the Royal National Park by rejecting further expansion or approvals for Peabody’s operations in this region. Stronger protections, stricter enforcement, and genuine accountability are urgently needed to safeguard these ecosystems for future generations.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

I support the submission to extend operations at Metropolitan Mine. The mine employs hundreds of local workers providing job opportunities, training, career progression and financial security for them and their families. The benefit of this extension also impacts a wider workforce that supports this operation. Furthermore, as a regional operation, it is supported by hundreds of suppliers, many of which are local and/or supported by local branches- therefore impacting even more jobs in the local community. The benefits of this operation are far reaching, and due consideration should be given to the positive impact the operation has on the prosperity of workers and businesses locally and in the broader economy.

Expansion of mining into a key water catchment area is unacceptable and not consistent with current environmental best practice. The Woronora Catchment and the Royal National Park should be preserved as a priority. The threat to biodiversity and water quality in such an important area, that services a significant number of people, should not be tolerated.

I strongly oppose the submission because:
1. Threat to Sydney and Illawarra’s Water Catchment
This modification proposes continued coal mining within the Special Areas of the
Woronora Catchment — a critical drinking water source for over 5 million people,
including the Sutherland Shire, northern suburbs of Wollongong, and
communities such as Helensburgh, Engadine, and Lucas Heights.
2. Biodiversity and Threatened Species at Risk
This modification threatens the habitat of several vulnerable and critically
endangered species
3. Economic Claims and Corporate Conduct
The proponent, Peabody Energy, is a U.S.-based multinational that pays no
corporate tax in Australia, despite earning substantial profits from its Australian
operations (2).
Peabody also has a record of poor treatment of workers:
4. Climate Impact of Ongoing Coal Extraction
While the Metropolitan Mine extracts metallurgical coal used in steel production, its
climate impact remains significant
5. Planning Integrity and Approval Process
proposal of this type — with serious
environmental and public interest concerns — must undergo a full Environmental
Impact Statement and fresh assessment under current laws and science.