Wilpinjong Coal Mine Extension

Our business has been involved with the Wilpinjong mine since its inception. Mining in the Ulan area and specifically at the Wilpinjong site has greatly benefited our business, our employees and the Mudgee region.

Our experience is that Wilpinjong operate to a high standard both in their business and community support and dealings.

We directly see the money flowing back into the community, benefiting everyone. This can be the local food and drink venues, service stations, infrastructure spend, accommodation, tourism in general and more.

Relating to our business, there are over 10 families directly relying on a full time income from the mine activities and many more indirectly. Many of our employees own and rent houses locally.

Additionally, our business rents houses and a commercial property in the Mudgee region along with sponsoring local sporting teams.

As a result of this our business supports the extension.

I oppose the extension of Wilpinjong Mine as it will destroy the community of Wollar. The cumulative social impact of loss of population through mining projects from Ulan to Bylong has not been considered.
From what I have read I believe the noise assessment, monitoring and mitigation measures are highly inadequate.
Has the impact on air quality been assessed?
What about the Aboriginal cultural heritage, water sources, greenhouse gas emissions, community and rural industry??

The ongoing coal extraction will produce an additional 20 million tonnes of greenhouse gas per year, which will exacerbate the impacts of climate change, and is at odds with Australia's commitments under the Paris Accord.

The extension will remove 354 ha of remnant native vegetation impacting 24 threatened species and communities - more than the current approval. The biodiversity offsets will not provide sufficient habitat for the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater.

The extension will leave 3 final voids in the landscape that will impact the local environment and waterways for hundreds of years into the future. This is a completely unacceptable legacy.
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The predicted job numbers are overstated compared with the current workforce extracting the same volume of coal.
Peabody Energy is in deep financial distress and may not be fit to meet all obligations.

The contract to supply AGL's Bayswater Power Station can be met by the current approval. The proposal to continue extracting low quality coal while causing irreversible environmental and social damage cannot be justified.

Please do not approve this extension - instead start using funding to create new jobs in the renewable energy sector. Our childrens children and the future of our world depends on decisions such as this! NO MORE COAL..

Wilpinjong Mining Extension Project SSD 6764

As a citizen I submit that the Wilpinjong Mining Extension Project should be refused.

Some of the particular matters that need to be resolved prior to approval include;

* how the public interest due to increase extraction of coal that will add to the already dangerous level of greenhouse gas emissions that are threatening the long term sustainability of our planets life support systems can be justified, taking into account the full social and environmental costs;

* how the extent of disruption due to the mining extension encroachment on the established village of Wollar can be justified in the light of the serious disruption to the social cohesion of the village and surrounding areas during the life of the mine and permanently into the future. That the impacts of the actual mining operation will cause adverse effects on the lives of local people due to dust, noise, air and light pollution and the effects of blasting is recognised in the suggestion that properties suffering from non-stop mining operations will be considered for acquisition though there appears to be no good consideration of the implications of thus displacing local residents.

* how the irrevocable and permanent damage to the rural valley between two areas of important natural, cultural and historic value that are reserved for protection under the National Parks & Wildlife Act as national park and nature reserve, ie Goulburn National Park and Munghorn Gap Nature Reserve can be justified;

* how in particular the direct and considerable effect on the integrity of the two reserves during the life of the active mining activity and into the long term future can be justified. Direction and indirect impacts that include loss of biological connectivity, changed hydrological regime and amenity do not appear to have been adequately taken into consideration in the proposing documentation. Buy out of individual properties as suggested for people living in the area is not an option to safeguard the intrinsic values of the reserves and the biological offsets proposed fail to properly address the permanent loss of existing natural habitat and remnant vegetation.

My interest in this issue stems from a general concern to achieve better long term social, environmental and economic outcomes. Towards this end I have consistently advocated for improved assessment of proposed new development that takes into account the full ecological and social costs as well as any economic benefits, measured against a decision not to proceed. In light of the questions raised above I do not believe the questions can be answered in a way that would justify approval of the mine extension.

Anne Reeves OAM
10 March 2016

Thank you for the opportunity to nominate my support for the Wilpinjong Extension Project.

I am employed by Wilpinjong Coal and a resident of Mudgee along with my wife and three children. We relocated to the region because of my employment at Wilpinjong Coal. The approval of the Wilpinjong Extension Project will provide a future with employment security, which will enable my family and I to continue to live and work in the Mid-Western Region Council area. Both my family and I contribute to the community economically (shopping, fuel, groceries etc.), socially (volunteer associations e.g.: RFS) and via sporting associations (touch football, triathlons, athletics, karate etc.). Without ongoing employment security at Wilpinjong Coal my families contribution to the community is at risk.

As my family has relocated to the Mid-Western Region we have a large number of visitors each year, both family and friends. Each of our visitors inject additional funds (brought from outside the region) into the community during their visit e.g.: from dining, undertaking wine tours and sourcing accommodation. This is an indirect benefit of the employment security that the Wilpinjong Extension Project will bring to the region. I am only one employee of a potential 650 employees (during the peak period) who most likely share the same scenario.

The Mid-Western Region has the benefit of being supported by three major industries - mining, tourism and agriculture. Whilst many NSW smaller towns are in decline, towns like Mudgee and Gulgong, for example, are advancing. The approval of the Wilpinjong Extension Project will contribute to mining remaining a viable industry in the region and continuing to support bot the tourism and agricultural sectors.

Additionally, the Wilpinjong Extension Project has the ability to provide ongoing local employment opportunities for residents of the local region, this is at a time when traditionally younger generations are relocating to bigger centres for employment.

Finally, I consider the Wilpinjong Extension project as a viable proposal when considering coal resource recovery. The extension will allow for the recovery of the coal adjacent to the currently "approved for mining" coal reserves, which may never been recovered otherwise. This can be achieved by utilising the current mine infrastructure and workforce, therefore minimising environmental impact compared to alternative scenarios.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my positive submission.

Coal is Australia's wealth but it is also its death rattle. We have alternatives; indeed in our hot inland there is a fortune in solar electricity and wind-power. We will all have to pull in out belts in the change-over and we have to start now!
KBO

I am a worker at Wilpinjong mine and support this as it is a great place to work.
The towns around the area are supported by the mines and if not for them at lot of community events would not happen.

My family supports the Wilpinjong mine and its workers. It is good for the town.

I support the Wilpinjong Extension Project!

I have seen the positive impact to my town. The people they employ enable small businesses of a high quality to be sustainable, business that you just don't get in country towns that don't have mining support. These include great cafes, restaurants, boutique stores, well equipped gym (open 24hrs!), sports grounds, hotels, and so forth. There has been a big expansion in the construction industry, as seen by all the houses popping up on the outskirts of town, giving renters like myself, many more options.

On the roads any time there is someone in trouble or a hazard, you see mining personnel stopping and giving a hand or clearing the road. They are also on hand to help out with bushfires and other natural disasters. You hear lots of stories of mining employees that own farms in the Mudgee area helping out their neighbours with skills they have gained in the industry, and spreading the message of safety.

I believe Mudgee is a better place with mining happening in the background.

Further to my initial submission supporting the project. I would like to add I am a paid member of the Wollar Progress Committee. And also a volunteer to the Wollar Rural bush fire brigade.

I support Wilpinjong's Expansion Project.
We provide significant royalty contributions to the state government, we provide significant VPA contributions to our local government, and purely through being a large employer in our area, our employee's are predominantly locally homed and spend their money where they earn it. Mid-West council region's economy is a wealthy region because of us.
We provide support to a vast range of community organisations, where our financial contributions really make a difference.
As an employee of the mine I can vouch that we look after the land and are diligent caretakers of it. We operate with an ethical mindset.
The mining community and particularly coal, is full of sad news stories at the moment with people be made redundant or put off. We are a profitable operation and a key mine within our group for our continued prosperity.

I work @ Wilpinjong coal mine and have for the last 6 years, it is a great place to work, the mine supports the local community with a number of sponsorship's every year and it employs a lot of local people and supports and uses a lot of local businesses it is committed to safety and to the enviroment

Hi, my name is Anthony, i am born and raised in Mudgee and fully support the Wilpinjong extension as it will provide amazing opportunities for work and boost the economy within the central west. I have worked at Wilpinjong for 18 months and have been witness to the positive difference they make in the community and the positive effect that they make to Mudgee and surroundings, i hope to continue to grow and work at Wilpinjong and i hope Wilpinjong is given the chance to provide others with the great opportunities that they have given me and continue to better this great region.

I believe that with the Extension of the coal mine the jobs created and jobs secured will create a domino effect for all local business owners and keep these great towns going strong.
-Thanks for your time

We need industry in Mudgee and the Coal mining support local people and business as well as my family.
We all need to work as a team and help the community keep jobs in the area.
Keep the lights on

I believe the project is good for the local Mudgee community. It provides a large number of local jobs and supports the local economy.

The mine will produce an additional 20 million tonnes of greenhouse gasses a year, exacerbating the impacts of climate change. This is at odds with Australia's commitments under the Paris Accord.

The cumulative impacts on biodiversity, Aboriginal cultural heritage, water sources, greenhouse gas emissions, community and rural industry have not been rigorously assessed.

The proposal to continue extracting low quality coal while causing irreversible environmental and social damage cannot be justified.

I support Mining in Mudgee as it increases employment opportunities for the region.

I support mining in the Mudgee Region. Working for Department of Human Services I see the amount of jobs mining and Peabody Energy brings to the region as well as business and tourism for locals.

I support the expansion of Wilpinjong coal mine, as it has supported the local economy for over the past 7 years.

I support the submission for this extension.

I am for the extension to get the go ahead so we as employees of wilpinjong can continue to support our local community. By extending the project more people will stay local, send their kids to local schools, buy local products and continue to fuel the mudgee economy by renting or like myself building a house providing jobs for local builders/ trades. Thank you for your time.