Modification 4 Longwall 317 and 318 Modification

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I strongly oppose Peabody’s Modification 4 to extend longwall mining under Woronora Dam. This threatens Sydney’s drinking water supply and has already caused serious environmental damage. Peabody was fined after coal sludge entered Camp Gully Creek and the Royal National Park. Woronora Dam is part of Sydney’s critical infrastructure, a Special Area, and is heritage-listed. Mining beneath it by a foreign-owned company poses unacceptable risks to water quality, public health, and environmental safety. Water is life. Enough is enough. Please reject Modification 4.

I object to the project because of the following reasons:
Irreparable damage to the water catchment. Feeble attempts by this company in the past to glue the water catchment back together with epoxy have failed. We cant keep allowing new damage in new areas.
Damage to aboriginal cultural sites and landscape.
This company has lost its social licence to operate after multiple serious pollution incidents in the RNP, its poor treatment of workers (unfair dismissal during covid, locking out workers over pay disputes) and avoidance of paying company tax in Australia.
Thank you for considering this objection and I hope this application is either rejected outright or sent to a hearing of the IPC.

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.

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 support the application as the Metropolitan Mine is a vast employer (x400) in the local Helensburgh area and also in supporting areas such as Wollongong.

Soto employes over 60 people and has worked with this mine for a number of years on a number of key structural and mechanical projects.

The investment Metropolitan MIne makes into the local area and community is significant and losing this income to the region would have a dramatic neagtive impact.

Coal remains a vital commodity in the modern world and in sourcing it, Metropolitan employs hundreds of people in the community. Its operations stimulate the local economy by generating over $200m in sales with local suppliers, further supporting employment in the region. Without its presence, Helensburgh's foot traffic would significantly decrease, impacting local shops and eateries. Metropolitan is committed to maintaining the environment as best as possible, rectifying any issues if they do occur. Overall, I support Metropolitans continued operations and the approval of LW 317 & 318.

Megabolt Australia is family owned private business based in Melbourne with employees in NSW and Queensland that supplies a customised roof support product to the Metropolitan Mine. In order to meet the requirements of the mine, Megabolt directly employs three (3) full time equivalent staff dedicated to producing product and providing on-site service to the mine. The Metropolitan Mine is a progressive organisation who are conscious of their environmental, social and community responsibilities. Megabolt Australia fully supports the Metropolitan Mine's application to extend its steelmaking coal operations until 2031.

This project is important for the community.

this would ensure jobs for the region and I support the extension

See attached file

Please approve for the community

Activity of this nature in a national park, where a a critical drinking water source is nearby, and undertaken by an operator with a track record of carelessness in the local area is obviously a bad idea.

I object very deeply to the Peabody mine extension. The Woronora is a true natural treasure for all of Sydney. I walk and swim there almost every week. I have seen koalas and all sorts of wildlife; the plant life is stupendous. By modifying and extending the mine, the health of the river will be endangered. Coal mining is not appropriate in this region at all, and to even consider increasing it is irrational. Peabody has a terrible record. Nobody will want coal in a few years and to sacrifice the Woronora for a few more dollars of Peabody profit would be a tragedy.

No more leniency to coal, just because they have better footing than the eco-turbines, if windfarms can get pushed back because of it being 'too loud' and it 'affects bird flight patterns' so can coal because it is putting pollution straight into waterways, even if there is a km of earth between the plant and the waterway means that the earth disruption will STILL POLLUTE THE WATERWAY. Coal deposits should not be disrupted as they are anyways. They are literal carbon deposits, storing carbon so they won't be released into the air, what happens when bringing them to the surface? Better ways to get energy, coal is not needed. This is just idiotic and frankly a middle finger to the future generations. Thank you.

I strongly object to and oppose this proposal by Peabody Energy to mine longwalls 317 and 318 under the Woronora reservoir for multiple reasons.

Coal mining in the special catchment area has been proven to permanently damage the special catchment area on multiple occasions, including in the 2019 independent expert panel report and reported by the sydney morning herald. Mining of the coal seam causes irreversible damage to the overlying rock strata. This diverts water away from the dam and is lost to the mine works, mobilises heavy metals which contaminate the local ecosystems, and compromises the water supply - causing SydneyWater to spend more money to prevent supplying contaminated water. The permanent cracking of the rock strata caused by underground coal mining also results in the permanent drying of the upland swamps which destroys their function as natural water purification systems, results in permanent drying of the swamps which creates a bushfire risk, and destroys endangered ecosystems which provide shelter for threatened species such as the Giant Dragonfly and Eastern Ground Parrot. These damages are compounded by Peabody's plan to construct an industrial ventilation shaft in the special catchment area. In addition, coal mining activities result in fugitive emissions of carbon dioxide and methane, contributing to anthropogenic climate change, which will continue in perpetuity after mining work has ceased; Peabody Energy has no adequate plans to address this. Furthermore, Peabody Energy's activities in the special catchment area have resulted in the release of pollution, coal waste and sludge, into the Port Hacking river and Royal National Park on multiple occasions, which is home to newly re-introduced endangered platypus species. Peabody Energy, a foreign-owned company, have proven to be an irresponsible entity in their mining activities, and furthermore pay no tax to the Australian government due to deliberate tax minimisation strategies (https://michaelwest.com.au/peabody-australia-holdco-pty-ltd/). There is also legitimate concern that Peabody Energy will have insufficient capital to remediate the site upon completion of their mining activities.

Personally, from the above reasons and my professional experience as a research scientist, I am strongly concerned that Peabody Energy's existing and proposed activities are incompatible with the environment in which they are conducted. Peabody Energy has:
- caused permanent damage to Australia's native environment and water resources by deliberately cracking rock strata through their mining activities
- caused permanent pollution of Australia's natural waterways and Royal National Park, threating the existence of globally unique flora and fauna due to coal pollution
- threated contamination of my, my family's, and my community's drinking water supply
- abrogated their duty as a responsible corporate entity by paying no tax to Australian governments through deliberate tax minimisation strategies

For the above reasons I strongly object to and oppose this proposal by Peabody Energy.

Dr Edwin Clatworthy
PhD in Chemistry
Member of the Royal Australian Chemical Society

Mining is a key contributor to the nation's economy and we have strict legislation to ensure impacts are thoroughly evaluated before a mine receives approvals. Metropolitan's coal is used to make steel which the world needs if we are to build the infrastructure for renewable energy but also the mine supplies coal to the local steelworks - BlueScope. If we don't have Metropolitan supplying BlueScope it would significantly reduce the sources of coal for that steelworks.

To Whom it May Concern
Peabody mining is planning to extend their operations deeper into the Woronora Catchment and I find this very deserving and of major concern. The mining operations have been in the catchment for over 100years at the time the area was not highly populated and developed as is in 2025. The area has changed dramatically and to allow the mine to operate and expand its operations is not viable. The Peabody mine does not have a solid history of environmental duty of care and has been responsible for a number of environmental accidents over its lifetime. Erosions which have led to landslides, a threat to the reservoirs of drinking water that supports large populations sustainability, polluting of water ways and river systems through already sensitive pristine bushland. The Peabody mining has been allowed to get away with little major accountability by the authorities. Also, its closeness to Australia's Oldest Royal National Park just adds a further major concern. This is a major commercial operation whose main objective is shareholders and profits. This is a conflict of interest for Peabody trying to juggle the balance sheet and their reasonability to the environment and its community. Peabody has not shown to be proactive in protecting the environment that it operates within and has little concern to appease the communities' issues and concerns. It's already a problem that the mine is operating in its current location, and its proposed expansion will only magnify the environmental issues that have become far more often in recent years.

Please see attachment.

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.

For the reasons listed in the atttached letter, I strongly object to Modification 4 Longwall 317 and 318 Modification of the Metropolitan Mine. I urge the Minister to reject this proposal in order to protect our water, environment, and climate.”