Rocky Hill Coal Mine

I oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Mine!

Name Stephen Armstrong
Address 2 Bellevue Avenue Avalon Beach NSW 2107

Delete my personal information before publication yes

Date: 2 September 2016

Director - Resource Assessments
Planning Services
Department of Planning & Environment
GPO Box 39
Sydney NSW 2001

Rocky Hill Coal Project - Application No SSD-5156
Stratford Coal Extension Project - Application No SSD - 4966 MOD 1

Dear Sir/Madam

I strongly oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Project and Stratford Mine modification on the following grounds

1.Personal
I have family and friends in Gloucester and regularly visit the beautiful town and its surroundings. The thought that they might build an open cut coal mine so close to town upsets me and my family. If built, the mine will have a serious and adverse impact on the Gloucester community.

2.Proximity to residential areas
The mine is proposed only 900metres from the residential area of Forbesdale. These residents will carry an unacceptable burden and will be impacted by dust, noise and loss of amenity, resulting in risks to their health and loss of property value. I know my family have friends who live in this area and they are devastated by the prospect of the mine being built.

2. Impacts on Health
Health impacts from open-cut coalmines are well documented. With most of Gloucester township, including the hospital and schools, falling within the 5km health impact zone of the Rocky Hill mine, this places a large percentage of the population, including my family, at risk. Those most affected by the health impacts are the very young, the elderly and the sick.

3. Impact on Tourism, worth $51M per annum to the Gloucester economy
Gloucester attracts tourists from Sydney and Newcastle and, no doubt other areas who wish to escape the pressure of urban living to enjoy the fresh air and country lifestyle.
. The potential to further develop tourism as a viable source of income to Gloucester is immense following the success of art and musical festivals in such places as Forbes, Trundle, Tamworth, Byron Bay. Gloucester's unspoiled environment, situated a pleasant drive from major urban centres makes it a perfect venue for such tourist events.
An open-cut coalmine within 5km of Gloucester and within sight of the Bucketts Way will have an impact on the visual amenity of the area and the dust and health risks associated with the mine adversely affects this amenity. The mine will risk the jobs of hundreds employed in the tourism industry

4. Environment
The proposed mine is on the Avon River floodplain and in the catchment area of the Manning River, which supplies drinking water to over 80,000 people. The Avon River has flooded 5 times in 4 years, with 2 floods occurring in 2013. There is definite potential for contamination of the water in the catchment. This is an unacceptable risk to the enviroment.

This mine should not be approved. Government needs to wean itself from the cargo cult of expecting income and prosperity to come from outside entities. Gloucester has the resources to provide viable alternatives in agriculture and tourism owned by local residents to whom the benefits should rightly go


Yours faithfully
Stephen Armstrong


I have not made a reportable political donation

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Dear Sir/Madam - please see my attached submission,
Yours
Nicola Chirlian

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