Warkworth Coal Mine Continuation

I believe it makes common sense to allow this extension Infrastructure is in place and this development is good for the region.

This is a submission against both the Warkworth (SSD 6464) and Mt Thorley (SSD 6465) Continuation Projects.

The NSW Land and Environment Court ruled in April 2013 that expanding the Warkworth coal mine would do the NSW public more harm than good. Judge Preston found that the information used by Rio Tinto and NSW Planning in support of the project was wrong, and he overturned the approval.

When Rio Tinto and the NSW Government appealed that decision to the NSW Supreme Court (Court of Appeal), they lost. Two superior NSW courts have now ruled that Rio's plan to expand the Warkworth coal mine fails on merit.

The Bulga people and their many supporters justly assumed that this would be the end of the project. Instead, Rio Tinto have simply resubmitted their mining application. It has been split in two, and the name updated, but these two projects (SSD 6464 and SSD 6465) are effectively the same project that has been rejected by two NSW courts (MP 09_0202).

That the Planning Department has even accepted Rio Tinto's application is a failure of procedural fairness, and makes a farce of the very process you are now asking us, the public, to participate in. We are being asked to make submissions on a project that has already been through this very same assessment process and failed - only to be resubmitted. We are being asked to submit to a process overseen by a Department that is clearly working closely with the proponent to get the project approved, and which got the decision wrong the first time around. There can be no faith in this process.

The Department must respect the decisions of the NSW Land and Environment Court, and the NSW Supreme Court (Court of Appeal), and reject these applications.

When I started my first job in the mining industry I was given the choice of working for Rio Tinto at the Mount Thorley Warkworth or working somewhere in Central Queensland. I chose to work at MTW as I wanted to opportunity to be part of a community, not a mining camp. This mine provides the livelihood for hundreds of people and all the small businesses in the local area. I live locally, I support the local businesses and I get involved in local community events and sports. If the MTW continuation is not approved it will not be just one person who is forced to leave the area to seek other work it will be hundreds. Multiply that by all the other family members who will also leave and the impact on local community is drastic.

In recent months we have seen a number of people made redundant from various mines in the surrounding area and even had a number of mine and small businesses close or severly reduce production. MTW has managed to maintain it's workforce and stay in production throughout this downturn. For it to close because an approval for a continuation was not granted would be a shame.

I strongly support this application not only in the hope of securing my job and liveilhood but also those of the thousands of other people who rely on this business too.

Dear Sir;
I along with many others in the Hunter Valley and surrounding suburbs work in industries that service this and other mines if Warkworth disappears so will many of those jobs including many in the company I work for . The Coal industry and many of the service industries pay high wages which in turn generate further employment in the communities in which we live .Please approve this vital project and help secure thousands of jobs .

The mining industry is already going through tough times where our local shops are closing and creating hardship as the money spent through mining has been reduced. If MTW mine is not approved then a greater blow will be impacted to the local community,one that we of NSW can not affort .

I work at MTW and have been there for four years working in the Commercial team. I support the Warkworth Continuation.

There are scarce jobs in the region for my skillset so I would become unemployed or have to move out of the area if I lost my role.

I have a three young children in childcare who will soon be going to primary school. I live locally and am currently building a new house in the Singleton Council area with a local builder. That builder, who employs a dozen or so tradesmen and apprentices, said the majority of his customers work in the coal industry. I shop locally to support the local community as much as possible. I play in local sporting teams.

Lack of job security is already hanging heavily over my friends and neighbours in the Singleton community. A closure of the MTW mine would be devastating to the local economy.

Please approve the Warkworth Modification.

This is a submission against both the Warkworth (SSD 6464) and Mt Thorley (SSD 6465) Continuation Projects.

The NSW Land and Environment Court ruled in April 2013 that expanding the Warkworth coal mine would do the NSW public more harm than good. Judge Preston found that the information used by Rio Tinto and NSW Planning in support of the project was wrong, and he overturned the approval.

When Rio Tinto and the NSW Government appealed that decision to the NSW Supreme Court (Court of Appeal), they lost. Two superior NSW courts have now ruled that Rio's plan to expand the Warkworth coal mine fails on merit.

The Bulga people and their many supporters justly assumed that this would be the end of the project. Instead, Rio Tinto have simply resubmitted their mining application. It has been split in two, and the name updated, but these two projects (SSD 6464 and SSD 6465) are effectively the same project that has been rejected by two NSW courts (MP 09_0202).

That the Planning Department has even accepted Rio Tinto's application is a failure of procedural fairness, and makes a farce of the very process you are now asking us, the public, to participate in. We are being asked to make submissions on a project that has already been through this very same assessment process and failed - only to be resubmitted. We are being asked to submit to a process overseen by a Department that is clearly working closely with the proponent to get the project approved, and which got the decision wrong the first time around. There can be no faith in this process.

The Department must respect the decisions of the NSW Land and Environment Court, and the NSW Supreme Court (Court of Appeal), and reject these applications. To not do so would seem to indicate a strong need for an ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) investigation.

To whom it concern,
My name is Jason and I have been employed at Mount Thorley Warkworth for the past 3 years.
I (with my young family) relocated from Western Australia to work on a family friendly roster, we have also invested our life savings by purchasing a property outside the town of Singleton. Our children attend the public school at Gresford and are part of the local soccer and cricket teams.
We shop local at many businesses in the Singleton and Gresford areas.
Without my job at MTW and due to the mining downturn, low coal prices etc, my family and I would have to leave the Hunter Valley.
I just want a secure future for my family.

This is a submission against both the Warkworth (SSD 6464) and Mt Thorley (SSD 6465) Continuation Projects.

The NSW Land and Environment Court ruled in April 2013 that expanding the Warkworth coal mine would do the NSW public more harm than good. Judge Preston found that the information used by Rio Tinto and NSW Planning in support of the project was wrong, and he overturned the approval.

When Rio Tinto and the NSW Government appealed that decision to the NSW Supreme Court (Court of Appeal), they lost. Two superior NSW courts have now ruled that Rio's plan to expand the Warkworth coal mine fails on merit.

The Bulga people and their many supporters justly assumed that this would be the end of the project. Instead, Rio Tinto have simply resubmitted their mining application. It has been split in two, and the name updated, but these two projects (SSD 6464 and SSD 6465) are effectively the same project that has been rejected by two NSW courts (MP 09_0202).

That the Planning Department has even accepted Rio Tinto's application is a failure of procedural fairness, and makes a farce of the very process you are now asking us, the public, to participate in. We are being asked to make submissions on a project that has already been through this very same assessment process and failed - only to be resubmitted. We are being asked to submit to a process overseen by a Department that is clearly working closely with the proponent to get the project approved, and which got the decision wrong the first time around. There can be no faith in this process.

The Department must respect the decisions of the NSW Land and Environment Court, and the NSW Supreme Court (Court of Appeal), and reject these applications.

I am writing to register my objection to the approval of both the Warkworth (SSD 6464) and Mt Thorley (SSD 6465) Continuation Projects.

The proposed projects will have significant environmental and social impacts, including but not limited to: biodiversity loss, air quality issues arising from coal dust, impacts on Aboriginal cultural heritage, impacts upon surface and ground water resources, and increase greenhouse gas emissions. The projects will significantly impact upon the ecology of the Warkworth Sands Woodland Endangered Ecological Community.

The Warkworth Continuation Project proposes to mine the same area of land as the previous 2010 Warkworth Extension application. That 2010 application was dismissed by both the Land and Environment Court and Supreme Court of NSW due to significant and unacceptable impacts on biological diversity, including on endangered ecological communities, noise impacts and social impacts. Although there are some differences in this new application, the broad scale impacts of the proposal remain the same.

These proposals have the potential to create long-term damage to threatened species, water and human health in the region and should be rejected.

I am writing to register my objection to the approval of both the Warkworth (SSD 6464) and Mt Thorley (SSD 6465) Continuation Projects.

The proposed projects will have significant environmental and social impacts, including but not limited to: biodiversity loss, air quality issues arising from coal dust, impacts on Aboriginal cultural heritage, impacts upon surface and ground water resources, and increase greenhouse gas emissions. The projects will significantly impact upon the ecology of the Warkworth Sands Woodland Endangered Ecological Community.

The Warkworth Continuation Project proposes to mine the same area of land as the previous 2010 Warkworth Extension application. That 2010 application was dismissed by both the Land and Environment Court and Supreme Court of NSW due to significant and unacceptable impacts on biological diversity, including on endangered ecological communities, noise impacts and social impacts. Although there are some differences in this new application, the broad scale impacts of the proposal remain the same.

These proposals have the potential to create long-term damage to threatened species, water and human health in the region and should be rejected.

I object to the approval of the Warkworth (SSD 6464) and Mt Thorley (SSD 6465) Continuation Projects.

These proposed projects will have significant environmental and social impacts that include: loss of biodiversity, poor air quality due to coal dust, damage to Aboriginal cultural heritage sites, impacts upon surface and ground water resources, and increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

The projects will significantly impact upon the ecology of the Warkworth Sands Woodland Endangered Ecological Community.

This proposal is almost identical to the previous 2010 Warkworth Extension application, which was dismissed by the Land and Environment Court AND the Supreme Court of NSW because of significant and unacceptable impacts on biological diversity, including on endangered ecological communities, noise impacts and social impacts. The broad scale impacts of the proposal remain the same.

These proposals have the potential to create long-term damage to threatened species, water and human health in the region and should be rejected.

I am sick to death of having to fight the same battles again and again. 'No' is 'no'. The decisions of the courts in NSW must be respected.

I am very anxious about the inevitable deleterious effects on the environment, particularly groundwater, and the waste of freshwater during coal mining. Australia is the second driest continent; we cannot continue to squander our scarce water resources.

I will remember the NSW Government's actions on mining when I vote next year.

I am writing to register my objection to the approval of both the Warkworth (SSD 6464) and Mt Thorley (SSD 6465) Continuation Projects.

The proposed projects will have significant environmental and social impacts, including but not limited to: biodiversity loss, air quality issues arising from coal dust, impacts on Aboriginal cultural heritage, impacts upon surface and ground water resources, and increase greenhouse gas emissions. The projects will significantly impact upon the ecology of the Warkworth Sands Woodland Endangered Ecological Community.

The Warkworth Continuation Project proposes to mine the same area of land as the previous 2010 Warkworth Extension application. That 2010 application was dismissed by both the Land and Environment Court and Supreme Court of NSW due to significant and unacceptable impacts on biological diversity, including on endangered ecological communities, noise impacts and social impacts. Although there are some differences in this new application, the broad scale impacts of the proposal remain the same.

These proposals have the potential to create long-term damage to threatened species, water and human health in the region and should be rejected.

I support the continuation of the MTW mine because of the economic benefits the mine provides to the regional families and businesses.

I support the expansion project for MTW.
The continuation of this mine will provide support for the community, local jobs and growth for future families.
MTW have already been granted approval to expand on the land that is already their own.
They should be able to continue to grow as per previous revoked approvals.

I support the continuation of the MTW Mine on lad they already own and already had permission to use.
The Hunter Valley, and the coal mining industry as a whole has enough problems without uncertainty over their future; enacted retrospectively!

I am writing to register my objection to the approval of both the Warkworth (SSD 6464) and Mt Thorley (SSD 6465) Continuation Projects.

The proposed projects will have significant environmental and social impacts, including but not limited to: biodiversity loss, air quality issues arising from coal dust, impacts on Aboriginal cultural heritage, impacts upon surface and ground water resources, and increase greenhouse gas emissions. The projects will significantly impact upon the ecology of the Warkworth Sands Woodland Endangered Ecological Community.

The Warkworth Continuation Project proposes to mine the same area of land as the previous 2010 Warkworth Extension application. That 2010 application was dismissed by both the Land and Environment Court and Supreme Court of NSW due to significant and unacceptable impacts on biological diversity, including on endangered ecological communities, noise impacts and social impacts. Although there are some differences in this new application, the broad scale impacts of the proposal remain the same.

These proposals have the potential to create long-term damage to threatened species, water and human health in the region and should be rejected.

I support the MTW continuation.

I support the MTW continuation.

I am writing to register my objection to the approval of both the Warkworth (SSD 6464) and Mt Thorley (SSD 6465) Continuation Projects.

The proposed projects will have significant environmental and social impacts, including but not limited to: biodiversity loss, air quality issues arising from coal dust, impacts on Aboriginal cultural heritage, impacts upon surface and ground water resources, and increase greenhouse gas emissions. The projects will significantly impact upon the ecology of the Warkworth Sands Woodland Endangered Ecological Community.

The Warkworth Continuation Project proposes to mine the same area of land as the previous 2010 Warkworth Extension application. That 2010 application was dismissed by both the Land and Environment Court and Supreme Court of NSW due to significant and unacceptable impacts on biological diversity, including on endangered ecological communities, noise impacts and social impacts. Although there are some differences in this new application, the broad scale impacts of the proposal remain the same.

These proposals have the potential to create long-term damage to threatened species, water and human health in the region and should be rejected.