Warkworth Coal Mine Continuation

I support the mining extension for the Mount Thorley Warkworth mine for the business it generates with in Hunter Valley and beyond. This is in a mining lease owned by the mine which has minimum impact on the local communities environmentally.

* I support mining jobs in Singleton, a town with a proud history of mining and a strong future if the Mount Thorley Warkworth continuation proceeds.
* There have already been too many job losses in mining over the past 12 months and these projects should be approved to secure employment for more than 1,300 people that rely on these mines for their income to support their families.
* I support the economic benefits that mining brings to the Hunter and the state.

Myself and my partner both rely on the Mount Thorley Warkworth mine for employement. If the continuation is not approved, us along with the 1300 other workers will be without jobs. I dont know what we would do if this was the case, we have a house in Singleton but would probably not be able to afford to live there and would need to seek work elsewhere, probably in another state which supports mining. Mining brings money to NSW, and to Singleton directly. The closure of MTW would hit Singleton hard. The community needs mining as it is what we have been built off.

I am very worried what impact a loss of 1300 jobs will have on our local community. The blocking of this expansion seems to be favouring only a small hand full of people at the expense of 1300 families that depend on this mine for their livelyhood

I would like to support the Warkworth Mine extension, As i belive that if this project wasnt permitted it would not only have an effect on the local community but also on the local economy and infastructure. (Eg Schools and local businesses) I believe the community can continue to work and live with the mine as it has done for the previous 25years.

The lives of 1,300 employees and their families will be directly impacted and will be seen. What won't be so obvious is the loss of consequential jobs - including the local people (and services) who support those families and even people in my team who support MTW. We all know our everyday services are costing more (hospitals, schools, etc) and if we continue to reduce our tax payer base more and more of these services will be harder for our Governments to maintain.

Our 2 Grandsons are born & bred in Kurri Kurri, their mother is 4 Generation Coal Fields born & bred,
our Son married into this proud local family,
Our Grandsons are growing up with a strong commitment to the area,
OUR SON works at Warkworth MtThorley he loves his job his work mates his whole life style, he has been able to provide well for his family though this hard work & commitment to RIO TINTO Mount Thorley Wakworth,
His job will be at RISk, HIs family will be at RISK, this decsion affects more than teh people of BROKE,
We recently went out WEST and visited BOURKE BROKEN HILL & COBAR, where mines & THE Local Community all work well together,
WHY do teh BROKE COMMUNITY have the right to HOLD all these WORKERS TO RANSOM

The proposed extension will keep hard working people in employment. Employment that is essential for the Singleton area in uncertain economic times.
We need to be focusing on job creation projects and not allowing the vocal minority to destroy the lives of many thousands of people affected by the loss of ongoing stable employment in major projects in NSW.
However, the companies need to be held accountable to ensure that ALL their environmental responsibilities are met and exceeded to ensure reduced effect on the surrounding environment and community members

I fully support the MTW Extension & believe if it does not go ahead, there fall out will be disastrous to the Valley & the Hunter region.

There have already been too many job losses in mining over the past 12 months and these projects should be approved to secure employment for more than 1,300 people that rely on these mines for their income to support their families.

Mining has been around for a long time in the Hunter & my family has invested in the area & our livelihood depends solely on our employment in the mining industry. My husband works at MTW & I work for a contractor who is employed by MTW & other mines in the area & if the extension does not go ahead - it will mean that we will both lose our jobs & will have to leave the Hunter to source jobs elsewhere. This will mean trying to sell our property, pulling our children out of our local school & sporting clubs & leaving a community that we love. We have already felt the impact of mining esp myself having to take a pay cut to keep my employment due to cut backs with Contractors. We love this area & our jobs & believe that MTW will follow through on their proposal of minimising the impact of the extension on surrounding communities. If the extension does not go through - there will not be much left of surrounding communities when most will have to move on to find jobs elsewhere. Please approve this extension, so the Hunter can continue to be what it is & has always been.

I am a small business operating out of Singleton in the Hunter Valley. The loss of jobs, changes to jobs and closure of mines that has occurred in the mining industry over the past 12 months has impacted not only my business but the community of Singleton in general. Those that aren't directly involved in mining have seen the impacts of local businesses closing and house prices decreasing.

Mining is not only imperative for the national economy, it is also imperative for the local economy and the flow on impacts to local businesses with both job losses and roster changes (due to expansions not being approved) has been devastating. These impacts will continue to be devastating if projects such as the Mount Thorley Warkworth Project are not approved.

It is not just about this Project gaining approval - it is about all global mining companies reviewing the outcomes of this Project approval and having confidence in the Government approving future projects that they may have in the pipeline. They, and their shareholders, need to be confident that the amount of capital they invest in Australia is worthwhile - it is just too easy in the current economic climate for major mining companies to look outside of Australia and invest in countries where they know they will be supported by the Government.

The Government also needs to understand that mines and neighbouring communities (whether they be vineyards, farms, horse studs or small community towns) can co-exist.

I feel with the recent down turn in employment and the wealth mining brings to the area no eason for this project not to go ahead .
It is a vital part of our community which will flounder with its slow down period .It stems deeper then just employees .take into consideration contractors , suppliers , investment home owners as people will move to booming areas .Local produce is all maintained largely to the industry workers .

regards
Adrian Stevens

I believe Mount Thorley Warkworths (MTW) extention should go ahead to protect the lively hood, not only the 1300 workers but their families as well. MTW sponsers local sports teams and schools, they support local business, that with out the extension to MTW will loose business as MTW buys and sources local labour and materials.. We moved here 6 years ago to settle in to a great community and watch our family grow. If MTW doesn't get the extension approved, it will strain the community to breaking point.

I would like MTW to continue operating in the foreseeable future. It would protect the 1300 jobs and communities in the hunter valley. MTW would take all the precautions of to avoid negative impact on the environment and communities as a result of the mining operations.

I'm worried for my families future if this extension does not get approved. Simply put I will need to leave the area for work which means packing my family who are settled in this area especially my children who are settled in high school. It's now starting to affect them as my youngest is who is 13 is having trouble sleeping because he's worried that we have to move. That really hurts as I'm trying to put his mind at ease, but he can see right through me.

I am a current employee of Mt Thorley Warkworth and I rely on the mining industry not just for my employment, but for the contributions it makes to my community. Mt Thorley Warkworth has been operating in the Singleton community for 30 years and it is critical for our jobs that we can continue operating on land which we own. If further approvals are delayed, my job, my house, the future of the mine, and the future of the broader community is at stake.

* I support mining jobs in Singleton, a town with a proud history of mining and a strong future if the Mount Thorley Warkworth continuation proceeds.
* There have already been too many job losses in mining over the past 12 months and these projects should be approved to secure employment for more than 1,300 people that rely on these mines for their income to support their families.
* I support the economic benefits that mining brings to the Hunter and the state.

If the land is already owned by the mine or mining company as part of the mining lease, then it is a nonsense to with-hold the right to mine the land

As a professional engineer outside of the mining industry my day to day activities have minimal impact from mining sector. However I have seen the impact mining has made to the Australian engineering sector during the GFC, and the stark contrast to other nations. Areas like the hunter have survived the mass exodus of residents largely due to the continued employment and economic benefit provided by the mining industry.
To not approve the extension, in my mind, will see the hunter region economy significantly suffer.

I have been employed in Hunter Valley Coal Mining for 24 years and now my son is also a mining engineer employed in the same industry. I know how devastating it will be for employees retrenched from MTW-Warkworth if the future of their pit and jobs is compromised by an emotionally charged and vocal minority. I have lived in close proximity and surrounded by mines for 17 years and have never heard a sound nor suffered from any environmental degradation that has caused me a moments anxiety. This should be compared with living 20 kilometers away and yet subject to the Third Runway flight path in Sydney that devastated my life and was instrumental in my moving to Muswellbrook. The environmenatl efforts put in by the mining industry is second to none in the private sector community.

I and my wife provide voluntary resources to many community activities including choral activity, athletics, bushwalking and the local eisteddfod and would be greatly saddened if these activities faltered due to unemployed residents having to leave for employment opportunities contracting to the Sydney region.

I am aware that a considerable burden is already imposed on coal mines by the endless raising of Royalty rates since the early 1990s and obviously this source of government funding will dry up if mining is forced to terminate at either MTW-Warkworth or any other mine site burdened by regulations and ill constructed anti-development legislation.

I and my family support the continuation of mining at MTW Warkworth and it's recent Long term Development Consent Applications.

MTW has been an integral part of the local community for over 3 decades, looking after thousdands upon thousands of families through employment and associated wages. The benefits to the Singleton LGA, the Hunter Valley, NSW and Australia have been huge. Without further mining approval all of these benefits in the future will put at significant risk. In fact it is a certainty that the MTW operation would be forced into immediate closure planning as the life of the current consents is so short. The Singleton LGA at present is feeling the burden of the down turn in the coal and mining industry and associated businesses that rely on mining to survive. MTW is in the top 3 mines in terms of size of operation end employment of staff. The impacts of it's closure would be far reaching for thousands of people. There is no feasible reason this application should not be approved. The techncial studies and economic analysis will stand up to the test. This Mine gives so much to operating within its approved conditions and has a very proud record of compliance. MTW is a proud member of the local community and has every right to continue to be in the future. It should be noted also that some of the opponents to this project actually work at MTW and have done for many years and in fact decades. Others own businesses which have relied on MTW over time also. It seems even the strongest of opponents still rely on this business and mining in general to maintain a lifestyle for themselves and their families. I urge in the strongest possible voice for the MTW continuation to be approved.