Rocky Hill Coal Mine

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see attached PDF

02/10/2013

To whom it may concern,

Re- Proposed Rocky Hill Mine in Gloucester
I found this article while researching statistics for my submission. The following extract is from http://about.nsw.gov.au/view/suburb/Gloucester/
"Despite the town's substantial coal deposits having had the town surveyed for a coal mine as early as the 1850s, the valley's location between mountain ranges made transportation difficult. With no railway line to transport the coal, the prospective mine was deemed an impractical venture and the mine never eventuated. Yet as time passed and better transportation routes became available to the valley district, the possibility of a Gloucester coal mine was raised again. In 1995 Gloucester Coal began trading out of a mine established in the town of Stratford just south of Gloucester and has enjoyed successes comparative to the area's cattle and dairy industry".

In my opinion it is quite interesting that coal was found in our valley as early as the 1850's, the only reason that a mine didn't progress was the "impracticality" of moving the coal. We now have the infrastructure and the technology to make coal mining profitable.

Since the conception of the mine at Stratford in 1995, it has proved that mining in the Gloucester shire can be beneficial to those in the community. Not just through the employment that is generated but also with community grants.

With the help of Rocky Hill and GRL, the Gloucester community will further benefit with more job opportunities and also an increased number of community grants.

Gloucester is already feeling the effects of the current "mining down turn". Duralie and Stratford mines are set to lay off a unknown number of employees. That will not just affect the employees, but also families and businesses in the area. We have already seen a local supermarket close and an engineering/manufacturing business close. We are watching a local hardware store and a mechanics struggling, weather this is due to the mining down turn or not is another question. But I put it to you, who will be willing to spend money in the community, when job security is on "rocky ground"?

The dairy industry no longer can support Gloucester. In the years I have lived here I have seen many families either sell or switch to beef cattle. Sadly Gloucester has lost its identity within the beef cattle trade as well. It dosent help with rock bottom prices that we are experiencing at the moment either.

Mining companies now have to abide by tough laws in place by the government. With all these laws in place to protect individuals/communities we would be silly not to allow the "Rocky Hill" mine. Who knows, it just may be Gloucester's saving grace.

Yours Truly

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See attached pdf.