Modification 4 Longwall 317 and 318 Modification

As resident who relies on the catchment for water I strongly object to the addition of two more longwalls to the existing colliery. As a modification this means the environmental protections are weaker. This mine is in an coastal upland swap which is listed as an Endangered Ecological Community under the Threaten Species Conservation Act and is home to a number of threatened species. This expansion proposes clearing of 4 hectares in an area closed to the public, even for bushwalking, due to its sensitivity and proximity to a major water source. There is no adequate risk management plans to deal with spills in the Royal National Park or in the water catchment zone. The Woronora Reservoir supplies clean drinking water to the Sutherland Shire and Northern Illawarra. This drinking water is under threat from long wall mining - this will cause subsidence and cracking of the surface, resulting in water loss and contamination. I find this modification being added to the original licence and avoiding the independent planning panel deplorable and corrupt.

Please see attached Sutherland Shire Council's submission.

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.

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.

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.

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 .

The Oatley Flora and Fauna Conservation Society strongly objects to this proposal. Due to the detrimental impacts on the environment, especially the treasured Hacking River and Royal National Park, coupled with Peabody’s very poor track record of pollution incidents, OFF is firmly of the view that the risks are far too great, should not be accepted and the proposal should be rejected.

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'm opposed to extending the longwall mining underneath the Woronora dam catchment. This is meant to be a pristine area that supplies drinking water - supposedly among the best quality in the world, according to Sydney Waters own data. Mining underneath has already been shown to cause subsidence and cracking in surface creeks and upland swamp areas within the catchment, affecting water flows into the dam. While we've had above average rainfall recently, the long term trend may see less water replenishment of the dam, and exacerbating that by physically damaging the areas that do the vital job of topping up our drinking water supply seems to me like a very bad idea. To restrict access to catchment areas, while allowing free rein to dig directly underneath it is hypocritical to say the least.

I am writing to oppose this project. This project represents an ongoing unacceptable risk to the Royal National Park. With climate change becoming a more pressing issue for everyone around the world, we need to be doing all that we can to protect our natural environments, including our national parks. The mining causes irreversible damage to upland swamps and this project doesn't have a risk management plan to deal with future coal spills. It is unconscionable that NSW would allow this project to move forward. Purchasing offsets to mitigate against irreversible damage is insufficient - what about the flora and fauna in the national park that gets damaged - no amount of offsets will restore the forest to it's earlier homeostasis. I strongly urge the NSW government to oppose this project. We need to protect our natural resources so that we have a healthy planet for future generations.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 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 extremely concerned about the Peabody colliery longwall expansion plans.
Considering the Woronora Reservoir supplies clean drinking water to the residents of the Sutherland shire and Northern Illawarra, it is of the utmost importance that the catchment area is protected from any potential for pollutants from increased mining contaminating our water, for the safety of not only the residents but also our wildlife and creeks.
It is already on record that the Colliery has had too many wastes spills in recent years which has polluted waterways in the National Park. Although Peabody was fined in March 2025, for two incidents of polluting Camp Gully Creek, they cannot be trusted to prevent this happening again.
I believe the go ahead for this proposal will severely affect the chances of the Platypus that have just been re-introduced into the waterways of Sutherland Shire surviving. A tragedy Peabody from pass track record would have no duty of care in preventing.
The proposal of clearing 4 hectares to construct a ventilation shaft site is a sensitive ecological area is not acceptable.
In my opinion the existing colliery should be shut down due to the pass pollution of our precious waterways, the idea that Peabody will be allowed to expand operations is outrageous. Please put an end to this proposal.