Rocky Hill Coal Mine

Rocky Hill Coal Project must be approved. Gloucester needs the employment and financial stability that this Coal Mine will provide. All other industries such as: Timber and Dairy have vanished over the years, this town needs something to keep it going ahead. The reported millions of dollars annually that is suppose to be coming into Gloucester in tourism- is just plain ridiculous. Where those figures are hatched from, no one bloody knows. Born and bred locals that have seen what has happened to our lovely town over the years, understand what having this coal mine will bring to town. Financial stability for families and businesses and most importantly JOBS!!!!. The Anti Coal mine fools are NOT local, NOT looking for work and have moved here from else where financially stable.
Rocky Hill Coal Project equals: JOBS. FINANCIAL STABILITY. FAMILIES STAYING IN THEIR HOME TOWN.
No Rocky Hill Coal Project equals: Retirement Village Capital.
GLOUCESTER NEEDS ROCKY HILL COAL MINE APPROVED............NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

My family often travels to Gloucester for weekend recreation. It is the natural beauty of the area that draws us to spend our weekends in its surrounds.
Surely there has to be a better option!
The natural beauty, CLEAN quality of living & tourism should be the cornerstone of the area NOT mining of any type.
Please see reason, please look beyond the dollars & think of our families, children & future generations.
What are we leaving them when such developments are being considered. GO THE NATURAL BEAUTY APPROACH NOT WHAT CAN BE RIPPED OUT AND SOLD.

I object to the proposed Rocky Hill mine as a regular visitor to gloucester, I believe that it will adversely affect the visual amenity, as well as the cleanliness of a beautiful country town.

I object to starting a new coal mine on the doorstep of a town. As a visitor from Armidale I would not like to see the town spoiled just to dig up more coal which is becoming increasingly difficult to sell.

I believe this project is too close to homes and will have a negative impact on a small country town. The health and wellbeing of residents is not being looked at as an overall problem. Why should residents close to the proposed mine be unable to sell their homes as this project will leave them in a state of limbo.

I am writing to express my opposition to the Rocky Hill Coal Project - Application No SSD-5156 and the
Stratford Coal Extension Project - Application No SSD-4966 MOD 1.

I visit and holiday in Gloucester regularly, to enjoy the quiet rural scenary and enjoy the pristine rivers. I have seen tourism in the town grow substantially over the last 10 years, with more and more tourist-focused cafes and bars. I new open-cut coal mine will cause damage to the local tourism industry, and simply will not co-exist with other industries in the area. Personally, I would be more likely to holiday with my family in places without open-cut coal mines, blasting, dust and noise.

I personally know residents of Forbesdale, some of whom run small beef or herb farms. I cannot see how they will continue to live or farm in the area. I do not believe local jobs, businesses and family homes should be lost, because GRL wants to create a new coal mine.

900m is simply too close to homes and farms - unacceptably close. The government must fully scrutinise the health - including mental health - impacts on residents, take these risks to health seriously, and act to protect public health.

"I have relatives in Gloucester whom I visit regularly. I object to the proposed mine because it is too close to the town and will have intolerable noise, dust and visual amenity impacts on residents within the Gloucester Valley."

Delete my personal information before publication
10/10/16

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

1. Proximity to residential areas
The mine is proposed only 900 metres 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.

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 5 km health impact zone of the Rocky Hill mine, this places a large percentage of the population at risk. Those most affected by the health impacts are the very young, the elderly and the sick.

3. Impact on Tourism, worth $51 M per annum to the Gloucester economy
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. The mine will risk the jobs of hundreds employed in the tourism industry.

4. Environment
The proposed mine is in the Avon Valley and in the catchment area of the Manning River. This supplies drinking water to over 80,000 people. There is definite potential for contamination of the water in the catchment.

Coal mines act as a sink for large amounts of water, with at least one open cut mine in the Hunter Valley storing more than 650 litres of water for every tonne of coal that is produced.* This constitutes a large amount of water to be taken out of natural waterways. This water could otherwise be used for tasks that have traditionally been important to the Avon Valley such as agriculture. Family's livelihoods depend on agriculture and it would be irresponsible to deny these people their livelihoods for the sake of a coal mine.

This mine should not be approved.

Yours faithfully,


I have not made a reportable political donation.

* This figure of 650 litres of water per tonne of coal is derived from publically available mine water usage data for the Bloomfield open cut coal mine in the upper Hunter Valley. The data are taken from the mine's 2015 Annual Environmental Management Report. The 650 litres per tonne of coal figure is calculated by subtracting the total mine outputs from the total mine inputs.

I oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Mine because ;

# My families property is merely a kilometer away from the proposed mine site !

# My parents are elderly and should not be put under such stress when they do not wish to sell and relocate at this stage of their lives !

# Their magnificent view of the whole valley will be destroyed and their property devalued !

# The blasting ,constant vibration, excessive noise ,dust and air pollution will cause undue anxiety and have a detrimental affect on their health !

# The promised job prospects for locals will be minimal as already redundant coal mine workers will snap up any of these positions!

# The whole proposal has brought nothing but angst to this beautiful peaceful country town ,dividing the community and putting it in limbo and uncertainty !

# The affect on tourism to the town will be enormous as this has grown since the decline of the Timber and Dairy Industries ! We are the gateway to the World Heritage Barrington Tops !

# The risk of groundwater seepage and surface run-off into our waterways are too great !

# PLEASE DON'T LET THEM DESTROY OUR BEAUTIFUL VALLEY FOR THE SAKE OF SHORT TERM MONEY GAINS THAT WILL PRIMARILY ALL GO OVERSEAS !

# PLEASE INVEST IN RENEWABLE RESOURCES INSTEAD AND SAVE OUR TOWN!

# IT IS JUST TO LUDICROUS TO HAVE AN OPEN CUT COAL MINE SO CLOSE TO GLOUCESTER !

I oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Project because I feel that it will devalue our house.

Please stop this mine. Don't destroy beautiful, productive land and hold vibrant communities hostage to the rapacity of the 'energy sector'. It beggars belief that we continue to put our nation's rural productive capacity at risk in the cause of a 20th century energy source. And one which is so destructive to the planet.
Please demonstrate some much-needed leadership and say No to this mine.
Thank you

I oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Mine.
Gloucester has been a repeated holiday destination for my family and I for its natural beauty and the clean country air.

Tourism is obviously a major industry for the town and

Bucketts way and thunderbolts way is an iconic australia drive to give syndey siders a taste of australia bush and ways of life.

I would hate to see it impacted further by continuation and expansion of the mining with gloucester.

Submission for the Rocky Hill Coal Project - Application No SSD-5156
Stratford Coal Extension Project - Application No SSD - 4966 MOD 1
Dear Sir/Madam
I oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Project together with the Stratford Mine Modification.
No.1 Dust - GRL plans to generate 944 tonnes (over 1600 cubic metres) of dust every year. Children, the
elderly, and people with respiratory disease will be at risk.
No.2 Scenic beauty - GRL claims that overburden from the mine will be used for `visibility barriers'. The
largest is over 50m high and over 2km long. They will be visible to travellers along the Bucketts Way and
residents on the eastern side of the valley. They will be as ugly as the mine.
No.3 Rehabilitation - There is not enough overburden to fill the voids or produce the claimed landform. 20
million tonnes of coal removed. Topsoil 40cm deep over rubble 190 metres deep will not hold water in dry
spells.
GRL claim that they will fill in any voids and completely rehabilitate the area to look even better than nature
has created. What if GRL go into liquidation and the mine ceases to operate? If we use the examples of
mines in the Hunter then we cannot believe them. The bond put aside for rehabilitation is never enough. The
mining company moves on and leaves the clean up to the taxpayers.
No.4 Night Lights - Gloucester sits in a quiet, rural valley with dark, starry night skies. This will disappear
with the lights from a mine in the Avon valley. Even though the mine will not be operating at night for three
years, the workers will have shifts until 10.30pm. They will be travelling along the haul road and to and from
the mine. Their lights will be visible to residents in the Avon valley and will glow into the sky.
No.5 Extensions to the mine. - GRL have already earmarked the area north of the proposed Rocky Hill mine
for `Stage Two'. As with all coalmines, when the first mine is approved then they follow on with extension
after extension, after extension. If the coal is there then GRL will mine it. The exploration licence extends
north up the Avon Valley to the town. There is no minimum distance from residences, as with the 2km for
CSG.
No.6 Benefit to the NSW Government and the people of NSW - GRL will pay $63M in revenue and $60M
in taxes. The life of the mine is 16 to 20 years. That means the company is paying just over $3M a year for
revenue and taxes.
The question is, why would the Government approve a mine that is paying so little to the coffers of NSW?
Gloucester does not need this mine. Do not approve the Rocky Hill Coal Project.

11 October 2016

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


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

Dear Madam/Sir,

I oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Project and the Stratford Modification.

This proposed coal mine is just 900metres from a residential area. Gloucester is an area of rural beauty, with sustainable industries of tourism, dairies and cattle farming. Coal mines and sustainable communities simply cannot co-exist. Also the Glen Nature Reserve, the Avon River, Copeland Tops are all very close to the proposed mine site. On those grounds alone, this mine should not be allowed to go ahead. I note the word "Environment" in your Department's name which presumably implies due consideration should be given to such issues. The area is also on a major tourist route to the Barrington Tops National Park, and the beautiful Chichester State Forest. A mine and all the accompanying truck movements and dust would hardly be considered draw cards by the tourism industry.

Perhaps a more apposite argument befitting our times relates to the future of the industry. Coal is an energy source of the past and the industry is on its last legs. Even coking coal is not in demand around the world. There is enough stockpiled to adequately supply the steel making industry. Coal mining is not a sustainable industry, with fluctuating prices and worker layoffs. The more coal dug out of the ground to maintain a dying industry, the more coal flooding the market and the more prices will fall and the more unsustainable the industry becomes. The coal mining companies are digging their own graves. Your Department need not provide the shovel.

The minimal benefit forthcoming to the NSW Government and the people of NSW cannot justify the significant damage caused. GRL will pay $63M in revenue and $60M in taxes. The life of the mine is 16 to 20 years. That means the company is paying just over $3M a year for revenue and taxes. Most of the profit from this company will go overseas.

The Department of Planning needs to be planning for the future and the NSW Government needs to be investing in renewables, particularly in rural areas where employment is low. Towns, like Gloucester could be embracing the new world of solar, thermal solar, biomass, wind and hydro. So many options with huge benefits, like, reduced carbon emissions, lower power bills, regional economic development and stable job creation would accrue to these areas.

Gloucester could be the new renewables hub instead of following an out dated industry like coal. I trust your Department will take the forward-thinking approach to this application and others that could follow and reject them.

Yours faithfully,

Jan O'Leary

Greg Gill
155 Squires Rd
Wootton 2423
NSW
Email: [email protected]

11-10-2016

Director Resource Assessments
Planning Services
Dept. of Planning and Environment

Submission of Objection to the Rocky Hill Coal Project - Application No. SSD-5156 and the Stratford Coal Extension Project - Application No. SSD-4966 MOD 1




Dear Sir/Madam

I oppose the proposal to proceed with the Rocky Hill Coal Project and the Stratford Coal Extension Project on environmental, economic and social grounds.

Gloucester is an area of stunning natural beauty, of long established sustainable primary production and of ever increasing eco-tourism based opportunities. The proposal to develop new coal mining ventures and to expand the activities of existing mines for some very limited and short-term economic gains shows a lack of foresight, a disregard to the long-term development of the local economy and nothing short of negligence towards the residence of the area, most of whom have chosen to live in the area for the "clean green" lifestyle and peace that it offers.

Globally the coal mining industry is clearly an industry in decline. This proposal appears nothing more than a desperate grab for the last, rapidly diminishing revenue to be milked from this destructive industry. From available information, at best this new mine will only raise a little over $3M per annum in revenue and a similar amount in taxes while the majority of profits (if any) will go offshore.

The NSW Government needs to abandon its plans to develop and expand this rapidly declining, unsustainable and dirty industry. It must stop sacrificing areas of natural beauty, sustainable primary production and community well-being on the altar of a limited number of relatively short-term jobs.

Further, with the state government currently flushed with cash from "selling off the farm" it must make a serious investment into a truly sustainable "future fund" based on establishing a renewable energy industry which will not degrade the environment and lifestyle of rural areas such as Gloucester and will go on producing revenue and jobs indefinitely.


Yours sincerely

Greg Gill

You can't undo a coal mine.

I support the Rocky Hill Project and the substantial contribution it will make to the people and businesses around Gloucester and the surrounding areas.

With the downturn in the coal industry there has been an increase in unemployment and the closures of small and large businesses in the Gloucester and Hunter regions. This is driving people out of the area to places like Sydney and Queensland where there are job opportunities and a supportive regulatory environment.

The role of government is to support and nurture those projects and businesses that provide revenue and prosperity to the state. The Rocky Hill project will provide jobs and royalty revenue for NSW that will allow the infrastructure projects started to continue and for new public assets to be developed.

The project is located in a complex geological area that suits smaller scale mining as proposed by the proponent and is next to an area that already has a mining history with minimal environmental impact that was accepted by the local community. The project is adjacent to the existing Stratford mine which is on care and maintenance and it will have minimal impact on the town of Gloucester from an environmental perspective.

The proponent has adequately addressed the issues outlined in the DGR's and is committed to an operation that will comply with the latest standards set by government for environmental impacts.

Mining and agriculture co-exist in the Hunter Valley and have co-existed in the Gloucester Basin with the Stratford and Duralie operations.The approval of the Rocky Hill project will allow that to continue with substantial economic benefits to Gloucester Council and the local community.

The proponent has adequately addressed the needs of the community through the environmental assessment and the project deserves the support of the NSW government to keep NSW as the premier state. I am currently unemployed as a direct result of the Drayton South refusal by the PAC and without more work I will have to re-locate to a state that is open for business.

see attached

see attached

Personal info for publication No
Date: 11/10/16

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

Submission for the Rocky Hill Coal Project - Application No SSD -5156 Stratford Coal Extension Project - Application No SSD-4966 MOD1


Dear Sir

I oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Project and Stratford Mine Modifications on the following grounds.

If the proposed mine goes ahead then the scenic beauty of the Gloucester valley will be irreparably damaged. This will lead to a dramatic drop in tourist numbers. Claims of financial benefit to the town will be lost by the decrease in visitors and the loss of jobs in tourism.

The Gloucester area is a regionally significant playground for Sydney and Newcastle residents who come to enjoy the outdoor experiences that are on offer in the beautiful valley and the Barrington Tops for which Gloucester is the base.

Gloucester's clean, green image needs to thrive and grow. We want industries that enhance the rural area and promote our claim to fame of being the gateway to the Barrington Tops World Heritage area.

Yours sincerely


I have not made a reportable political donation