State Significant Development
Rocky Hill Coal Mine
MidCoast
Current Status: Determination
Interact with the stages for their names
- SEARs
- Prepare EIS
- Exhibition
- Collate Submissions
- Response to Submissions
- Assessment
- Recommendation
- Determination
Rocky Hill Coal
Attachments & Resources
Request for DGRS (3)
Application (1)
DGRs (1)
EIS (55)
Submissions (7)
Agency Submissions (11)
Response to Submissions (35)
Amendments (114)
Assessment (3)
Recommendation (3)
Determination (3)
Approved Documents
There are no post approval documents available
Note: Only documents approved by the Department after November 2019 will be published above. Any documents approved before this time can be viewed on the Applicant's website.
Complaints
Want to lodge a compliance complaint about this project?
Make a ComplaintEnforcements
There are no enforcements for this project.
Inspections
There are no inspections for this project.
Note: Only enforcements and inspections undertaken by the Department from March 2020 will be shown above.
Submissions
Name Withheld
Object
Name Withheld
Message
Sue De Silva
Object
Sue De Silva
Message
Name Withheld
Support
Name Withheld
Message
Tania Parkinson
Object
Tania Parkinson
Message
I fully support the former Gloucester Council's 2013 submission, the MidCoast Council 2016 submission and the Administrator of MidCoast Council's comments to the proponents EIS. That is that coal mining is not in itself an issue, but that this mine, Rocky Hill, is too close to the town of Gloucester and as such the risks to the community outweigh the benefits. The risks to the community include :
health issues - from noise, dust and light:
environmental issues - including produced water issues, subsidence of the finished landform, and effects on threatened fauna:
social issues- including increased population into Gloucester. This will have a cumulative effect when the Stratford Mine Extension starts in 2018. A total of 360 people will be employed between the Stratford mine and the proposed Rocky Hill mine. This is a large increase in population over a short time and will put local services under great pressure.
Economic issues- many of the environmental factors that have been identified in the EIS have been qualified but not quantified. That is they have been identified but no cost has been associated with them. Further, mitigation measures such as the water treatment plant, have not been costed. As such the cost benefit analysis is not complete.
Thomas Levick
Object
Thomas Levick
Message
1. The site is inappropriately close to the township
2. The environmental cost will be considerable and there is no guarantee of actual rehabilitation
3. The connections between coal and risks to health are clear and should not be left ignored
4. The developed world is finally accepting that coal is not future, and this project is nonsensical
Name Withheld
Object
Name Withheld
Message
I am writing in the hope that you may listen to the concerns of the people of Gloucester and those that support them in their opposition to the Rocky Hill Coal Mine. I had the privilege living and raising my small family in Gloucester during the 1990's, and it was with some regret that we had to leave such a picturesque town. To site a coal mine so close to the town is unthinkable when considering the impact on tourism, agriculture and water supply. The cost to the town would be felt in both social and economic terms, and would reflect poorly on those elected to protect the rights, health and wellbeing of the community, not to mention the damage direct, and indirect, on the environs of the Gloucester Valley.
I sincerely hope that the concerns of the people of Gloucester and those opposed to the Rocky Hill coal mine are taken into account, and that the appropriate decision be made not to mine at Rocky Hill.
Sharon Parfitt
Object
Sharon Parfitt
Message
The proposed pits are only 900m from the Forbesdale residential estate, and barely 3km from Gloucester township. The impacts from noise and air pollution, blasting, loss of amenity and lifestyle on surrounding residents are simply unacceptable, and in no way justified by the dubious economic arguments put forward by mine proponents.
In addition the health impacts are awful. Gloucester's hospital, its schools, and almost all of its residents are within 5km from the proposed coal pits. Particulate pollution from open-cut mining is known to lead to reduced respiratory health and increased death rates in surrounding communities. It is completely unfair and unjustified to expose the population of Gloucester to these health impacts.
In addition this propsed mine threatens Gloucester's $50 million tourism industry. Gloucester is a unique and beautiful town on the edge of the Barrington wilderness, and it has a thriving nature-based tourism industry. Open cut coal mining is completely incompatible with this important local industry, which must be protected.
Finally, so-called 'commitments' to reduce mining impacts are not to be trusted.
The community has no reason to trust either commitments from the mining company made during its application, nor conditions imposed by the Planning Department if approval is given. We have seen elsewhere in Gloucester and the Hunter Valley that these conditions can be changed later, and usually are.
Conditions regarding mine rehabilitation, night-time work hours, noise, blasting, and dust, and even the footprint of the mine are untrusted. It is known, for example, that there are plans for a "Stage 2" of the coal mine. The only acceptable outcome for the Rocky Hill application is to reject it outright.
Louise Young
Object
Louise Young
Message
It is inconceivable to me that this mine is even being considered. Climate change is happening. We urgently need to decarbonise our environment.
Please keep Gloucester beautiful and stop this foolish proposal.
Greg Martin
Object
Greg Martin
Message
Rocky Hill Coal Project - Application No SSD 5156
Greg & Lyn Martin 901 Pitlochery Rd Back Creak, Gloucester NSW
Please do not publish my name.
I have not made a reportable political donation.
I oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Project because :
1. The health risk is too great for everyone especially the elderly, young children, pregnant women and people with asthma problems. Surely there has been enough research done for you to see that there is more disadvantage than advantage, if you can just see that people's health and lives are more important.
2. Carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer. Have not enough people died from this terrible disease ?
3. A truck every 6 minutes? The damage to the valley floor will be devastating.
4. Our future generation will miss out on seeing nature at its best. This beautiful natural countryside will be totally destroyed by any mining. Even if down the track they replace trees it will never be the same or better.
5. I have been driving through this countryside for most of my life, and seeing the devastation all mines make whether they are above ground or underground is just too great a risk for anyone, anything animal or vegetation.
6. The agricultural, tourism and life style problems this mine will make is unnecessary in my opinion.
I know you now the results that can happen when there is mining but if 1 more voice might make that difference than how can I not try.
Regards
Greg & Lyn Martin
Name Withheld
Object
Name Withheld
Message
1. 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.
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 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 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.
This mine should not be approved
Lieske Dowd
Object
Lieske Dowd
Message
1. 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.
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 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 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.
This mine should not be approved
Nathan Dowd
Object
Nathan Dowd
Message
1. 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.
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 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 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.
This mine should not be approved
Name Withheld
Support
Name Withheld
Message
I have experienced the decline in Gloucester's economy since the loss of the timber industry which suffered from the same type of propaganda and in some cases from the same PEOPLE! who are now against coal mining and were also against coal seam gas mining.
If it wasn't for the mining industry back in the '90s which filled in the gaps Gloucester would be in a worst state than it is now.
Gloucester needs new types of industries which will attract young families and train young people in new skills.
Gloucester's first coal mine "Gloucester Coal Company" started in 1924 adjacent to the railway station, you can read about on Trove, here is an extract;
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/137772668
GLOUCESTER COLLIERY
The first meeting of the Gloucester
Coal Company passed a resolution that
the board consist of five directors, and
in addition to Messrs. F. Lowe and EI. T.
Henning, appointed Messrs. W. G. Ful.
ton, W. W. Hawdon, and L. E. Street to
make up the required number. It was
announced that fourteen applications for
the position of manager were received.
The property to be worked is considered
an excellent one. The, seam is 30ft in
thickness.
More interesting history of enterprising founders of Gloucester can be found here;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloucester_Electric_Supply_Co.
Coal mining in Gloucester restarted in about 1995, tourism has grown every year since, the tourist trail is not in the same area as mining.
Health problems and birth defects etc have not increased in that time because of mining.
In the 1990's the high school had near 700 students now only about 350.
Without young families able to settle here and or stay here that will decline further.
Gloucester will not survive on retirees and tourism, we need a major industry to underpin business and employment and all other enterprises we have experienced in the past this is why I fully support Rocky Hill.
I have not made any political donations.
Name Withheld
Support
Name Withheld
Message
I have lived in the Gloucester district for over 24 years raising a family of 4 children who all attended the local schools. My husband and I have worked within the local community and been involved on a community level.
Our family has been associated with the district for some 30 years. We have witnessed the decline of the dairy and timber industries, at the time these being the main industries and provided the most employment and flow on business for the town. At the time those employed, their families and local businesses were left distraught wondering where they would find work and facing the very real prospect of having to leave their home town!
This all happened over 20 years ago, about the same time this was happening there was news of the possibility of a new coal mine being developed in town. At the time there certainly was some caution as to how this would impact the town, but it was certainly seen as a saviour to those that faced unemployment and the real possibility of having to leave town.
The mining managers at the time made a real effort to include the locals and new families moving in to the area to assimilate. They became involved in and supported many local projects. Overall the Stratford and Duralie coal mines have been a real positive for the towns economy.
With these mines now winding back we are again faced with a huge impact with loss of employment. There have already been a large number of families and young people who have had to leave town for work. All our children have now left Gloucester to find employment and opportunity elsewhere.
I see the new amended Rocky Hill Coal Project to be nothing but a positive addition to our local economy. We need young people and families to live and work in Gloucester. If they have to move away then we will be faced with a community of retirees and unemployed. In my opinion this would be unsustainable. While Gloucester is indeed a popular destination to visit, this alone cannot sustain us.
I believe an industry such as coal mining operating correctly within the rules and regulations can work alongside tourism and agriculture. Before the mines were developed in the area I never thought the land they now occupy to be particularly productive or beautiful. There is far more productive land in the region and the beauty of the scenic mountains, rivers and lush farmland lie mainly to the north and west of the town.
As I said at the start, our home faces the land where the mine will be, I welcome it as long as it runs under the guidelines set down which I have no reason to believe it won't. I look forward to the benefits the town will have as a result and I hope that the powers that be are not put off by the noisy minority!
Dallas de Brabander
Object
Dallas de Brabander
Message
I oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Mine for the following reasons.
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 5km 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 $51M 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.
This mine should not be approved
Yours faithfully
Dallas de Brabander
Name Withheld
Support
Name Withheld
Message
There are few job opportunities for young people/school leavers in Gloucester other than the family farm. The Rocky Hill mine will provide both direct and indirect opportunities for employment.
This opportunity to inject money into the local economy should not be lost. Mining has and would continue to play a major role essential for a sustainable future for Gloucester.
Colin Charles
Object
Colin Charles
Message
82 Argyle Street
Barrington NSW 2422
Delete my personal information before publication: No
Date: 13 October 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 oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Project and Stratford Mine modification on the following grounds
1. 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.
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 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
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.
This mine should not be approved.
Yours faithfully,
I have not made a reportable political donation.
Sue Abbott
Object
Sue Abbott
Message
The Rocky Hill Coal Project should not go ahead. It would cause catastrophic environmental destruction coupled with the all too customary 'community' vandalism that goes hand in hand with coal mines in communities.
There is no 'safe' coal mining practice no matter what Big Coal spins.
Coal needs to be left in the ground; the world knows this and so do we here in Australia. Thus when Australian governments approve coal mines today they act in a wilfully unconscionable manner.
Alarmingly coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP), also known as Black lung, has re-emerged. This deadly condition is caused by breathing in coal dust, and was thought to have been eradicated until late last year. Yet neither black lung nor air pollutants evident and unchecked beyond safe levels, nor uncovered coal wagons travelling through our communities, concern our politicians who fatuously remain enchanted by the coal-spin of Big Coal, and subsequently hand out approvals and licences willy nilly.
And let us please ignore us the 'coexistence' babble from the coexistence merchants. Coexistence cannot work, and if the Rocky Hill Project is permitted we can say goodbye to all that is lovely and healthy about Gloucester.
How do politicians face NSW's children and grandchildren knowing that the fossil fuel industry is destroying our planet and these children's future?
How can that fact sit well with our politicians and decision makers?
What will it take to get true leadership from our politicians on this issue? For instance when will our leaders listen to our doctors on the subject of coal and humanity?
Why does the polluting coal industry enjoy unqualified support from our politicians?
It breaks my heart that we cannot process available evidence on the devastating impact the coal industry wreaks upon our own country and the rest of the world.
Accordingly we need to say no to the Rocky Hill Project.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Yours faithfully,
Sue Abbott
Name Withheld
Object
Name Withheld
Message
Coal is a failing export and should be moved away from.
Flexibility in agreements renders the process useless unless the mine never takes place.
Name Withheld
Object
Name Withheld
Message
The proposed pits are only 900m from the Forbesdale residential estate, and barely 3km from Gloucester township. The impacts from noise and air pollution, blasting, loss of amenity and lifestyle on surrounding residents are simply unacceptable, and in no way justified by the dubious economic arguments put forward by mine proponents.
The health impacts are far too great
Gloucester's hospital, its schools, and almost all of its residents are within 5km from the proposed coal pits. Particulate pollution from open-cut mining is known to lead to reduced respiratory health and increased death rates in surrounding communities. It is completely unfair and unjustified to expose the population of Gloucester to these health impacts.
The mine threatens Gloucester's $50 million tourism industry.
Gloucester is a unique and beautiful town on the edge of the Barrington wilderness, and it has a thriving nature-based tourism industry. Open cut coal mining is completely incompatible with this important local industry, which must be protected.
So-called 'commitments' to reduce mining impacts are not to be trusted. They're all talk and no action; empty promises.
The community has no reason to trust either commitments from the mining company made during its application, nor conditions imposed by the Planning Department if approval is given. We have seen elsewhere in Gloucester and the Hunter Valley that these conditions can be changed later, and usually are. Conditions regarding mine rehabilitation, night-time work hours, noise, blasting, and dust, and even the footprint of the mine are not to be trusted. It is known, for example, that there are plans for a "Stage 2" of the coal mine. The only acceptable outcome for the Rocky Hill application is to reject it outright.
It would be a disaster for the area; the destruction too high a price for the people and for the physical environment. Please don't allow this to happen.