Port Waratah Coal Services - Terminal 4

I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE FOURTH COAL TERMINAL IN NEWCASTLE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.

THE FINANCIAL INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE OF THE HUNTER COAL INDUSTRY AND NEWCASTLE.

THE GENERATION OF A LARGE NUMBER OF CONSTRUCTION JOBS.

AN INCREASE IN LONG TERM EMPLOYMENT WITH THE COMPLETION OF CONSTRUCTION FOR NEWCASTLE.

THE OBVIOUS BENEFIT OF THE RE-USE OF A FORMER LANDFILL SITE.

THE REMOVAL OF COAL CHAIN BOTTLE NECKS.

IT WILL ADD TO THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY OF THE REGION.

In an economy where manufacturing is on the decline, jobs for technical professionals and skilled labour are becoming increasingly harder to find (without committing to the awful alternative of FIFO work). PWCS is an excellent employer which can attract a highly skilled workforce with its proven record of reliable employment. In this economy, how many employers can make offer its workforce stability?
I have worked for several different enities in different industries and have found PWCS to be truly a responsible corporate entity which prides itself on its professionalism and ethical behaviour.
I support to establishment of the fourth coal loading terminal for several reasons. Firstly, it will finally respond to the environemental mess left behind by BHP's unchecked dumping of industrial waste. Secondly, it will further secure the employment of over 400 of PWCS's current employees. Thirdly, it will provide for an expansion of PWCS's permanent workforce as well as providing a multi-year boon of employment to those selected to design and construct.
While I accept that those opposing the construction of the terminal have a point as well as the right to express it, one cannot ignore the fact that they offer no alternative to all those people whose very lifelihoods depend upon it and the coal chain.
While ever Australia cannot muster the political will to have a base load, fully integrated strategy employ renewable energy, it will remain a technical plaything and political foil. Those in anti-coal camp have not considered how unlikely it is that a renewable energy economy would be based locally, manned by locals and ultimately any less intrusive. I can only imagine the incessant outcry should the Carrington site be populated with wind turbines.

I am in full support of the T4 project.
Given the poor coal mining and coal handling practises I have seen first hand overseas, I would much rather mining continue for as long as it can in Australia. Australia exhibits worlds best practise when it comes to environmental consideration and management and if less mining occurs in Australia, more will occur overseas and trust me on this, our planet will be much worse off...

T4 will continue to bring weath to the region, as well as giving our children and grandchildren an option of working in the local area, either for the coal industry or there support businesses.

I fully support T4 Plan as it will provide more job and stability in Hunter reign .

I support the approval of T4 coal terminal. The number of jobs that this facility will bring to the region both during construction and ongoing operation, will benefit families throughout the Newcastle and Hunter Region. Having been heavily involved in the expansion of PWCS' Kooragang Coal Terminal over the past 4 years I have had first hand experience of the lengths that PWCS will go to in order to comply completely with environmental consent conditions required under their licence. The proposed T4 site is currently a disused toxic waste dump and as part of the coal terminal construction the contamination within the site will be addressed and contained which will protect the surrounding environment from contamination which may otherwise occur in its current state. When the facts are considered T4 brings significant benefits to the community.

I support the T4 application based on the benefits the project will deliver to the local and regional communities.
This is a major project proposed by an organisation with a proven track record of delivering sustainable operations for over 35 years in close proximity to Newcastle.

I support the construction of the T4 terminal.
PWCS has a proven record of operating 2 coal terminals in the Port of Newcastle with excellent safety, environmental and economic outcomes for the people of the Hunter Valley.

I believe PWCS is a responsible community member that will take all precautions to protect the environment, the concerns and well being of local communities and provide the state of NSW with jobs and income that benifit many.
PWCS have a proven track record of looking after the local communities and has and is spending millions on suppressing dust emissions from site with a high level of success. PWCS will use this technology for T4 and their will be little inpact to the local environment and communities.

I object to this project and believe that the community health, environmental and socioeconomic impacts will have far outweigh any short term benefits it is claimed it will deliver. These include:

Global warming: The burning of an additional 70Mt of coal a year will add 174.2Mt of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. This is equal to 30% of Australia's total annual GHG emissions. The International Energy Agency predicts that to limit global warming to under 2 degrees Celsius, global coal demand must peak in 2016, at least a year before PWCS indicates T4's will begin operation.
The Hunter Estuary supports 112 species of waterbirds and nationally and internationally listed threatened species, including the Australasian bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus), listed as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
Deep and Swan Ponds: The Project will wipe out 80% of Deep Pond, which supports at least 11 species of migratory recorded and above the threshold of 0.1 per cent of the Australian flyway population for three migratory shorebird species, and will develop part of Swan Pond which supports three species in numbers that exceed the threshold of 0.1 per cent of the Australian flyway population.
Misuse of public conservation lands: Swan Pond is public land, owned and managed by the National Parks Service under Part 11 of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act. It is part of a highly successful long-term restoration project, the Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation Project (KWRP) and has been the site of significant hours of volunteer labour by the local bird watching club.
Air quality: Newcastle and the Hunter Valley communities are impacted by dust from the mining, transport and stockpiling of coal. An additional 70Mt of coal exported will mean about an additional 7000 trips of 80 wagon trains between the Hunter mines and the port and back again per year, the capacity to export coal from an additional 8 to 10 mega mines and four new 1.5km coal stockpiles will substantially add to PM10 emissions in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley.
Air quality modelling flaws: PWCS's air quality modelling continues to use 2010 as a base year. NSW Health has suggested that PWCS should have included "a justification for assuming the PM10 levels in 2010 would be a realistic baseline for modelling future particulate levels or alternatively use, as a baseline, average levels over a longer period of time". This recommendation is ignored in the PPR.
Particle pollution from rail transport: The PPR does not address air quality issues from rail transport returning to the Upper Hunter Valley. PWCS continues to focus on air quality impacts within 20m of the rail corridor, but there are almost 30,000 people living within 500m of the rail corridor and 23,000 students attend 16 schools in that vicinity. The submission to the EA by NSW Health noted that the contribution of coal dust from coal trains beyond 20m from the rail corridor needs to be carefully considered, but this recommendation is ignored.
Justification for the project: There is no justification for the project. PWCS does not commit to building T4 and only suggests an indicative build date of 2015 with operation maybe in 2017. During a major downturn in global coal demand, Newcastle's approved coal export port capacity of 211Mt seems optimistic. Last year only 141Mt of coal was exported meaning 60Mt or 42 per cent of capacity was uninstalled.
Employment: The 120 Mt facility proposed in the EA identified no additional employment would result from its operation. The revised T4 project of 70Mt million of the RT/PPR is identified as employing 80 additional people. How is this possible? This dubious additional employment is not explained.

I support the Terminal 4 development.

I support the Terminal 4 application.

The recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has for the first time included a carbon budget. This budget outlines how much CO2 humans can put into the atmosphere before the climate passes the danger level of a 2 degree temperature rise. Half to two-thirds of this budget has been already used up, and on current trends the rest will be used up within 15 to 25 years.

The coal to be exported through the T4 terminal is estimated to add 174.2Mt of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere each year, generating carbon emissions that will be 30% above Australia's current emissions.

The best scientific opinion in the world has set clear limits for the world's consumption of fossil fuels. This is not a time to be facilitating an increase in emissions.

The proposed T4 terminal will play a part in the world more quickly using up this carbon budget. To approve this terminal is neither a wise nor a moral course of action for the government of NSW and the people it represents.

This terminal could be considered, among a group of major new coal projects here in Australia and overseas, as yet another paragraph in the death warrant of future generations.

I request that that the T4 terminal does not go ahead because:
1 .By exporting coal to the world, it will increase CO2 emissions causing catastrophic weather, potentially killing many people.
2 .It is very bad for the health of people living near the terminal and the mine due to coal dust in the air.
3. It is bad economically as the world demand for coal is decreasing.
So why would you waste our money?

I support the move for T4. I think it will create jobs for the local workers in the engineering & construction industries, it will help keep Newcastle on the map for our coal loading facilities and i believe that pwcs will take the necessary steps to reduce the dust and noise for local residents.

As a born and bred Novacastrian who works in the Construction Industry and who is employed, along with 35 other locals, by a Newcastle Based Company, the Port Waratah Coal Services Terminal 4 will assist in keeping our Company viable and us all locally employed

I would like to pledge my support behind the T4 project based on the following pionts.

Strong Growth for the port.
Future employment for the poeple of newcastle.
A controlled enviroment for the industry as PWCS is a world leader.
Australia should be able to have the benifets of the industry here not send them overseas.
Economy Boost.

I support the development of T4 and coal mining in the Hunter region

I fully support the T4 project particularly on the basis of the jobs that it will create and remediation of environmental sins of previous land owners where T4 will be built.

The port is vital part of the Newcastle community. We need this to support jobs in our region. Without mining Newcastle would be struggling. I know too many people have recently been effected by the downturn and anything that can help the future of jobs in this region should be pursued. Im positive this project can be managed in such a way it doesnt impact the enviroment.

I support the Project.