Rocky Hill Coal Mine

I oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Mine.
The Gloucester community should not have to keep opposing coal mines and CSG developments.
Under NO circumstances should this beautiful valley be transformed into an industrial wasteland. Under No circumstances should the beautiful rivers be ruined by heavy metals and leave the community without it's pristine water supplies. Coal mining uses vast amounts of water, pollutes the environment and causes serious health problems to members of the community. The lower hunter valley has been ruined already. Stop the rot here and now. Enough is enough.

I Oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Project together with the Extension of Stratford Mine
Health risks number 1
Number 2 The destruction of rare and natural beauty in the unique non industrial area of Gloucester and Gloucester Basin
Dust, -GRL Plans to generate 944 tonnes ( over 1600 cubic metres every year) this has proven respiratory risks
The history of mine rehabilitation is disgraceful now . Why- with the threat of declining coal demand - would you expect taxpayers , locals and visitors alike to the region - to not object to this proposal overall as we face the clean up and consequences
when and after the mine moves on
Night Lights
There is no minimum distance from residences .If theres coal there GRL will mine it.That licence extends north to Avon Valley
One extension approval means the mine will continue to lodge for extensions - as other examples have shown
CONSIDERING THERE IS HARDLY ANY AREAS LEFT THAT ARE NOT SUBJECT TO MINING ,WHY WHY WHY are you trying to eradicate the beautiful and life supporting areas that ARE LEFT

I oppose the Rocky Hill Coal Mine as well as the Stratford Coal
modified Application No. SSD-4966 MOD 1, because of the
detrimental cumulative impact of these projects on the health and
mental well-being of the Gloucester community due to dust and
noise pollution too close to the local high school and residential
areas. I also oppose both projects because of the visual detraction on the Gloucester valley whose physical beauty is a much valued tourist attraction. Those cumulative negative impacts greatly outweigh the questionable promises of short-lived job opportunities for the local labor market. The length of these projects would affect a whole generation in this valley. The destruction to the community's health and lifestyle cannot possibly be compensated for

As a beef producer I rely on buying in hay to maintain stock over part of winter and in the increasingly dry times in my area. Mining in Gloucester's arable area will force people like me to import hay from distant sources and undermine my ability to produce protein for the market and eke out a living from the land.
I add this to the environmental, health, and social concerns expressed by other submissions.

My submission is to high light my concerns and my objection to The proposed Rocky Hill Mine . The mining area is too close to the rural residential houses of Forbsdale and the main township of Gloucester.

GRL have made improvements to the previous EIS which I acknowledge . If approval is given I would like to see an exclusion zone of at least 2km be added as a condition of consent.

I am opposed to the Rocky Hill coal mine project in Gloucester for the following reasons :
1. The proposed open cut mine is too close to the town of Gloucester;
2. Impact of noise, dust, particles on the residents;
3. The open cut mine operations will have an adverse effect on Gloucester's tourist industry;
4. Traffic on the Bucketts Way will increase and the road is not dsuitable for heavy traffic;
5. Digging new coal out of the ground is unreasonable in the face of climate change and the need to lower carbon emissions as a high priority;
6. Our family takes camping holidays in the area and we want it to remain unspoiled by industrial mining.
Thank you for your attention.

I oppose the Rocky Hill Mine project because it will destroy prime rural land, pollute it, and take away tourism and tourism dollars from the town. We bought in this town 16 years ago as it is beautiful, quiet and pristine and embodies all that is desirable in an Australian country town. This mine will destroy the town, it's natural beauty and subject its residents to pollution, ill health and lack of tourist dollars. The surrounding areas will also be affected. Please do not do this to an Australian town that deserves better.

Dear Sirs,

I am opposed to the Rocky Hill Coal Project. I believe existing coal mines should be phased out and no new coal projects started. This is a dirty and dying industry that ultimately causes damage to the environment, global warming, and bad living conditions to those living nearby. Please as a government concentrate on providing assistance to renewable energy. I don't believe damage to the environment and using fossil fuels is good for the economy, ultimately it detracts from all quality of life.
thank you
Sandra Shergill

With all the black lung in Qld it would be silly to have mines any where near towns.

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 m 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 ocumented. 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

I support the proposal for Rocky Hill

To:
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 strongly ppose 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. Too close to residents who will be unacceptabley 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. Most of Gloucester township, including the hospital and schools, fall within the 5km health impact zone of the Rocky Hill mine which would place a large percentage of the population at risk.

3. Impact on Tourism
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 which is currently worth $51M per annum to the Gloucester economy.

4. Environment
The proposed mine is in the Avon Valley and 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

Lesley Lalor
7/18 The Lane
Maryville NSW

0409733706

I have not made any reportable political donations.

I oppose Rocky Hill Mine as it is simply too close to town. It is prime agricultural mine of which we have precious little on our vast continent. Mining can be done elsewhere, in places not so vital, valuable, close to communities and so very very beautiful. Mining companies can provide jobs and infrastructure to support their mines, they want it so close as infrastructure is already available to them and the cost the to the community and enviroment does not seem to come to bare. This mine will drive out new residents and other industries and most of the profits will simply be sent overseas with minimal benefits to Australia. Thank you for your time and consideration in reading my fears, worries and agonies of this mine going ahead

I support the Amended Rocky Hill Coal Project for the following reasons
· The mine project will provide up to 60 new construction jobs and 110 operational jobs in an area where there are limited new job opportunities. In addition there will be numerous indirect jobs created in other service industries such as transport, hospitality and retail.
· The mine will greatly benefit Gloucester's economy. The mine will provide opportunities for other businesses to open and increase the property values of the local area.
· Youth unemployment is a serious problem in most regional areas of Australia. The opening of the mine will provide education, qualifications and trades which are lifelong skills.
· As demonstrated in the Hunter Valley mining and agriculture can readily co-exist.
· The revised Rocky Hill Project submission has shown commitment to consideration of the communities concerns with the exclusion of night time operations, and the sharing of coal handling, washing and loading infrastructure. This will significantly reduce the environmental impact on the community and is further reason for my support of the project.

Please do not allow this coal mine to go ahead. The environment and farmland is too precious to allow this kind of damaging mine to be gouged into this area. The long term financial and environmental damage cannot be justified.

My friends moved away from Sydney to Gloucester for peace and to be surrounded by beauty. One of their children suffers from asthma, which is part of the reason they moved to Sydney. This coal mine will damage the unique and breathtaking beauty of Gloucester that people travel to experience. It will also damage the health of the people of Gloucester who will be forced to move away from their homes. My friends who moved there contribute immensely to the community. Gloucester is unique and special. It can not be destroyed in place of a coal mine. Please put the coal mine somewhere else where no lives will be completely uprooted and tourists no longer have the enjoyment of Gloucester. The beauty of Gloucester can help so many people with their mental health as well.

My name is David George and my residential address is 41 Coral Crescent Pearl Beach NSW 2256.
My wife and I own rural land at Barrington, since 2005, on which we had intended to live in retirement.

I oppose the Rocky Hill Open-Cut Coal Project in its entirety and make this submission:-

The proposed mine is too close to Gloucester township and specifically 900 metres from the Forbesdale Residential Estate of 35 families, many of whom have chosen not to complete or further improve their homes, having lost value and the amenity of a peaceful rural lifestyle. This proposed mine would have the effect of transforming idyllic Gloucester to a 21st century model of a 19th European mill town, with dangerous and unacceptable levels of operational noise and dust.

Most of Gloucester town, including the hospital and several schools, falls within the acknowledged 5kms health impact zone - thus placing a large proportion of the population at risk. Those most affected are likely to be children, the frail and elderly.

The location of the proposed mine is on the Avon River floodplain and in the water catchment area of the Manning River which supplies drinking water to over 80,000 people. Frequent periodic flooding has the potential for contamination of the water in the catchment.

New residents and visitors come to Gloucester and environs to experience the peaceful, country lifestyle.
Tourism is estimated to contribute over $30m to the local economy, which would be seriously undermined by a
major industrial development.

I urge a far more considered approach to the future of all mining in NSW, in balance with our real needs for agriculture and food production, together with the imperatives of water quality, availability and the related concerns for human health.

In accordance with your Privacy Statement I have no objection to the publication of my details.
I have not made a reportable political donation within the past two years.

Thank you for this opportunity to express my views.

David George

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