Rocky Hill Coal Mine

I oppose the Rocky Hill coal mine.
I grew up in Gloucester and having a mine so close to the outer proximity of town will not only damage the aesthetic quality of it, but also possibly the health of the residents.
Gloucester has an economy which thrives on tourism due to its beautiful outlook, the expansion of the mine will greatly damage this, and could possibly even lead to the area looking like a moonscape such as in the Upper Hunter.

I oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Project. Not only does it negatively impact on the lives of the local residents, but we just have so little natural environments left in our country. This is beautiful land that should not be carved up for coal. The impact on the environment far outweighs the financial gain.

14/10/16


Director Ã,Â- Resource Assessments
Planning Services
Department of Planning & Environment
GPO Box 39
Sydney NSW 2001
Rocky Hill Coal Project Ã,Â- Application No SSD-5156
Stratford Coal Extension Project Ã,Â- 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

Nicky Coombes

I have not made a reportable political donation

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.

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. The mine will be an unsightly blight on a previously pristine environment, permanently contaminating the land of NSW, rendering it uninhabitable and unable to be used for farming. Investment should occur in renewable energy and not in coal.

This mine should not be approved.

Yours sincerely,

23 Albert Street
PETERSHAM NSW 2049

14 October 2016

The 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 on 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 its 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. 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.
4. Impact on Tourism. This is worth $51million per annum to the Gloucester economy. An open-cut coalmine within 5km of Gloucester and within sight of the Bucketts Way will have a very negative impact on the visual amenity of the area. The mine will risk the jobs of hundreds employed in the tourism industry.

It beggars belief that this coal mine is even being considered in an era of worsening human-induced climate change which is in large measure caused by Co2 emissions from coal.
THIS MINE SHOULD NOT BE APPROVED ! Our natural and built environment in this beautiful area must be preserved and freed from any new coal mines.

Yours faithfully

Adrienne Shilling

I have not made a reportable political donation
Please DO NOT publish my street address.

Date: 14/10/16

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 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

Andrew Coombes

I have not made a reportable political donation

Dear Sir/Madam,

I object to the Rocky Hill Coal Project on these grounds:

1. Proximity to residential areas. The mine would be only 900 metres from the residential area of Forbesdale and will impact on the residents adversely.

2. Impacts on Health. Most of the Gloucester township, including hodital and schools, fall within the 5km impact zone of the Rocky Hill mine.

3. Impact on Tourism. The visual impact of the mine will adversely affect the tourism industry.

4. Environment. The proposed mine is in the Avon Valley and in the Manning River catchment area, which 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 sincerely,

Fiona Vaughan.

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.

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. The mine will be an unsightly blight on a previously pristine environment, permanently contaminating the land of NSW, rendering it uninhabitable and unable to be used for farming. Investment should occur in renewable energy and not in coal.

This mine should not be approved.

Yours sincerely,

Joseph Nguyen

I oppose the rocky hill coal mine due to the threat it places on the quality of water In the manning river which is the water source for 75000 people. The manning river also provides an essential habitat to many species including the platypus. The river also waters stock and is used to irrigate farmland. It is a magnificent and priceless resource Tha should not be placed at risk of contamination or degradation.

The Rocky Hill mine is inappropriately located only 900m from the closest residents on the edge of Gloucester and poses a risk to the water catchment. The mine should not go ahead.

I object to Rocky Hill Coal Project.

I live and farm in Stroud/Gloucester Valley and chose the area 20 years ago for its serene beauty & suitable farming potential.

But in 1999 Duralie Coal were granted consent (NSW Gov) to mine.

That mine is less than 5 km from my home & vineyard & still working, still emitting general truck & blast noise, still droning out the particularly intrusive mid frequency hum of giant evaporative fans. The mine uses these fans to concentrate acidic, salty water held back in what will be permanently polluted dams (unless of course they don't, over time, leak.

Mining actually began in 2003 on basis of that 1999 consent.

Then followed a series of quaintly called "modifications" in 2010, in 2011, in 2012, & in 2014.

And so on, all with an eye on what could get under the radar of "planning dept" and its political master of the day.

All this has occured in background of community uncertainty disharmony, acrimony & inevitable cynicism.
There is no reason for Rocky Hill to be any different.

Noise has been the biggest mine related problem for me. In July 2006 with Duralie insistent they were noise compliant & bleating the occassional exceedance occurred only with temperature inversion. (Gloucester Valley in Winter has night temp inversions 80% of the time.)

Frustrated and disillusioned that government allowed this I sought & paid an "independent" Acoustic Engineering Consultant for Noise Measurements at my house.

In the meantime the mine was not required to monitor the health compromising mid frequency noise that is characteristic of mining machinery. Day & night.

That report cost me thousands of $$ and indicated Exceedance at my home but was viewed by Duralie as a nuisance to them but nothing more.
It carried no power unless I could follow up with prohibitively expensive Court action.

As there are 2000 Gloucester residents within 5 km of this proposed Rocky Hill open cut mine I believe, from bitter personal experience, this proposal if granted will seriously damage quality of life for those 2000 affected individuals as it has for me and sully perhaps forever Gloucester Valley tourist appeal.

It is a madness to even think of allowing this destructive proposal for squalid short term financial benefit.

Helen Gillard
Winemaker
Mill Creek Vineyard
Stroud

I oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Mine on the grounds that it completely undermines the Paris Climate Agreement signed by the Australian Federal Government.

As Convener of the Barrington Tops Greens Local Group, I have discussed this proposal with the membership and a unanimous consensus was reached to oppose this proposal.

I totally oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Project on the following grounds as per attachment.

I have been a resident of Gloucester for twelve years, and I object to the proposed Rocky Hill coal mine and associated extension of the existing Stratford mine for many reasons, the principal ones being:
. Proximity to existing housing, farms and even the High School. The mine would destroy the lives of those who live closest, prevent any expansion of the town to the south, and when the inevitable applications to extend the mine occur would pose an even greater threat to livelihoods and health.
. Risk of polluting the water supply for the Manning Valley. I can provide photographs of Maslens Lane a few hundred metres north of the mine and Fairbairns Road to the south, both knee-deep in water from quite minor flood events. Recently the nearby towns of Stroud and Dungog have suffered major flooding, and Gloucester itself is prone to the same. The last serious floods were in 1978, so it is inevitable that there will be major flooding of the mine site during its life. I do not believe any of the measures proposed can prevent debris from the mine and toxic waste water stored on-site being washed into the Avon River, and thence to the Manning River, which is the main water supply for Taree and its surrounds. This is a gamble which must not be taken.
The effect of a coal mine so close the the town would be devastating; I believe the possible benefits are overstated, and any revenue to the State Government will be returned in the form of various subsidies and concessions. The real benefits would be profits for mainly foreign interests, and the price to be paid by Gloucester residents is too high.

I have never made any reportable political donation.

I oppose the rocky hill coal mine because it is too close to Gloucester and will ruin the town and poses a water risk for the Manning river.

I oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Project and Stratford Mine modification.
Preamble
I spent my first 18 years growing up on the family farm in the Hunter Valley which was selected in the 1850s by one of my fore fathers.
I regularly visited that farm over the next 30 odd years.
I now rarely visit the farm, even though I still have a financial interest in that farm.
My Partner and I have a Â"hobby farmÂ" at Krambach on which we graze a few cattle and breed thoroughbreds
We do some of our buisiness in Gloucester and often travel there for lunch and dinners.
It is unlikely we will continue to do so in close proximity to a coal mine.
Our water is supplied by MidCoast Water
I chose to live and farm at Krambach because we didn't have the impacts of minning.

I oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Project on the following grounds
1. Impacts on Health
2. Impact on Tourism, worth $51M per annum to the Gloucester economy
3. Possible Contamination of Water Supply.
4. Quality of Rehabilitation
5. Possible Extensions to the mine.
6 No substancial Benefit to the NSW Government and the people of NSW


Gloucester does not need this mine. Do not approve the Rocky Hill Coal Project.

Yours faithfully
Peter KIllen

Dear Sir/Madam

I oppose the Rocky Hill mine and extension of the Stratford coal mine projects. As a resident of the Manning Valley I am extremely concerned about these proposals. The Manning River is the lifeblood of Manning Valley communities.
In particular, the proposed Rocky Hill coal mine is in the Avon River catchment; a major tributary of the Manning River. The Rocky Hill Environmental Impact Statement suggests the likelihood of discharge and pollution of the Avon River tributaries to the Manning River. Many downstream users in fishing, aquaculture and agriculture could have their critical water quality rendered useless due to pollution. This would smash our local economy. I urge decision makers to consider this harsh fact and instead of allowing a temporary money grab by this offshore company with high risks for existing community and businesses, please move to protect the assets and community we have worked hard to establish over many years.
As well, tourism provides 51 million dollars to Gloucester each year and I am one who visits regularly to experience the special qualities Gloucester offers. There is no way I would want to visit Gloucester with a mine on its doorstep.
The NSW government should not approve this mine.
Yours truly

Dr Graham Taylor,
Director; Spectrum Natural Family Healthcare

Rocky Hill residents and surrounds will receive no overall net benefit from hosting a coal mine. The social, economic and health cost far outweigh any benefits. In the long term the government will also receive no net benefit from approving this mine.

However by rejecting this application the NSW gov't will take an active step towards increasing the health of new, and allow the community to have certainty, then grow food to feed the world.

The township of Gloucester is situated at the Northern end of the Avon Valley.This is the narrow end of the valley and is a funnel for all the different wind currents that come through the Peaked& Troughs in the Mograni Mountains to the East & the Bucketts mountains to the West.This topography can change wind direction within minutes.A Weather Station monitoring wind direction at the proposed mine sight doesn't account for wind direction changing rapidly 500m N S E W. I learnt to fly at the Gloucester Airstrip and the proposed mine will be next to this facility.I have asked the question to a representative for the mine at a public meeting "Can u guarantee that no toxic air from blasting ,diesel fumes,coal dust etc will not affect the Residents.Answer from Representive( "NO l can't guarantee).Aust residents who decided to come here to enjoy clean air water and beautiful scenery are they just to be pushed aside as collateral damage.They have contributed many millions of dollars to the community.The Estates Forbesdale,Avon,Thunderbolts will now have lower property values & restricted sales. "Is this the Aust way ".I believe this coal mine is 2/3 foreign owned.The decision makers have to stand up and be counted and not let this mine continue as it is too close to Gloucester.It is not democratic to have a few PROSPER (owners high% foreign owned will only employ about 60 to 70 locally,a local business Drifta Campers employs the same no) to the detriment of the many.21000million tonnes at $200 tonne=$4,200,000,000 and Gloucester will get a less than 1% if the mine is approved.That is a pittance .The Stratford mine further South in the valley was to be a boutique mine and last 10years.It has been in operation now for over 20 years has expanded and has changed ownership either 3 to 4 times.The present owners Yancoal have asked for another extension.Trust is a real issue as once a mine gets a start they keep shifting the goal posts.I might ad also with all the projected boom from mining Gloucester is not booming and the village of Stratford doesn't even have Town Water.What benefits did they get from a mine next to their village.They got noise & coal dust in their water tanks.

The mine threatens Gloucester's $50 million tourism industry and threatens the natural beauty of the area.

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.

I have stayed in the Gloucester area on several occasion, drawn by the natural beauty of the Bucketts and surrounding wilderness. I would not return to the area if it were spoilt by the permanent scars from open cut mining operations.

Further, the proposed mine is too close to residential areas - 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 for an industry in decline.

This proximity to the Gloucester township would also lead to serious health risks for the residents. 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.

We have recently seen the recurrence of black lung disease in QLD. Why would he NSW Government even consider imposing the health risks from open cut coal mining on the residents in this area.

Please reject this project for the sake of the community & the local environment.