Fully support the coal industry the procedures in place to insure the safety of surrounding communities, job opportunities & the rehabilitation of the land

I am currently studying a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering at University and am a local from the Upper Hunter area. MACH energy has provided me with a scholarship aimed to support local students with the commute to university and encourage students to remain local post graduating. This scholarship has helped my financial stresses greatly and I have been able to work less to dedicate more time to my studies. It has also given me the opportunity to save my money towards travelling, a luxury I would not have been able to afford without the scholarship.

MACH have also allowed me to complete my mandatory work placement at Mount Pleasant Operation. This has assisted me with my studies greatly with invaluable hands on and industry experience and has absolutely increased my interest in remaining in the Upper Hunter area post university.

Since beginning placement, I have remained on the MACH energy team while completing my remaining two years of university. This opportunity to gain experience in my chosen industry before graduating has helped my studies greatly as I can apply what I learn to industry problems and be surrounded with an abundance of knowledge. It also relieves financial stress as before this opportunity I had two jobs with inconsistent hours and was often not prioritising university.

Whilst being a part of the MACH energy team, I have seen first-hand the effect the company has on the local communities with countless fundraisers, donations, team events, and volunteering partaken by the team. The company has maintained a good relationship with the local Indigenous population and is always transparent about the mine site's activities. The company itself consists of over 70% of employees residing locally, providing employment and adding to the economy of the community.

I support MOD 8 for the job security for many locals and the ongoing support the company provides to the Upper Hunter area.

I support MPO

I have completed work for the main contractor on site and on other projects in the region for many years and continue to support these operations including Mount Pleasant as part of my position with the contractor. This project supports a lot of people with job security and financial stability not only with personnel on site but also the community benefits from these types of operations. With other operations close to the Muswellbrook area winding down, it is more important than ever to support the operations that have longer term stability to continue to support the local area.

I support this. It brings local jobs and sponsorship within the community. Sports and schools that my children are involved in has always had the support from Mach Energy.
We need them in our community

Mod 8 is important to me for many reasons, firstly I am employed by Sedgman that operate at Mount Pleasant Operations. My partner, family and I are reliant on the mine for income. I have worked at Mount Pleasant Operations for 7 years. If the mine was to close it would mean that my family and I would have to leave a region that we truly love. In addition, MACH Energy has provided over $2 million in support to local schools, sporting clubs and organisations. Mount Pleasant Operations is also important to provide reliable power to NSW households now and into the future. With the predicted closures of other coal mines in the local area Mount Pleasant Operations is vital to provide security of this area into the future.

I object to the proposed Mod 8 - Extension of Mine Life at Mt Pleasant Coal Mine.
The NSW Court of Appeal’s Denman decision made it clear that the local impacts of climate change caused by downstream greenhouse gas emissions from NSW coal must be considered by planning authorities. As this decision is now under appeal in the High Court, accepting this modification application would create legal and practical confusion, with significant environmental and social consequences for the surrounding area.

Furthermore, the proposed expansion directly contradicts advice from the NSW Net Zero Commission (December 2025), which states that “continued extensions or expansions to coal mining in NSW are not consistent” with NSW climate law nor with the Paris Agreement temperature goals. Approving this modification would therefore be inconsistent with both legal obligations and climate policy and would undermine the state’s commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The people and the environment of NSW are already experiencing the effects of more frequent and extreme flooding, heatwaves and bushfires. I personally lost my home in the climate-fuelled bushfires of 2019-20 and understand all too well the price ordinary people like me are paying for the profit of a few. Approving further coal expansion will only exacerbate these harms.

For these reasons, I strongly object to the approval of Mod 8.

V2 Mining Services is a small mining services company that supports the local mining industry via design, development and supply of specialist mining equipment. We employ a number of locals, allowing them to support their families. We are active in the local communities all across Newcastle and The Hunter Valley, supporting numerous local charities, sporting clubs and fund raising events, to give back to the community. We don't just supply specialist equipment, we support this equipment by developing novel technology to make it more efficient and cost effective for our clients. Some of this technology is world first, that is developed locally before being introduced to the rest of the world, showcasing that small local Hunter businesses can lead the world with new technology. V2 are also a Veteran owned , operated and employer of Veterans, bringing excellence to the industry, while actively supporting the Veteran Business Community.

Considering all of the above, we have been actively involved with Mount Pleasant Operations (MPO) since the project commenced, and this project has provided many opportunities for us to develop new, world first leading technology, due to the fact that Thiess (as the contract miner) and Mach Energy, are always pushing forward with process improvement to ensure mining efficiencies (that minimise environmental impact) are driven through their organisations. If Modification 8 isn't approved, the cascading effects will flow through to my company, which will impact my staff, along with our ability to continue our technology development - MPO are (in my opinion) without doubt, a class leading mining project that has probably the largest reinvestment in technology to continually improve their mining processes which thereby continually reduces their environmental impact, with all of this successful work being shared with the larger global mining community. Also very importantly, there are families and jobs at stake here as well, so the continuity of MPO is critical for the local economy which could have serious economic consequences for years to come.

I support the proposed extension of the Mt Pleasant Coal Mine.

The mine plays a vital role in the economic strength of the Hunter Valley region. It provides significant direct and indirect employment opportunities, supporting local families, contractors, and small businesses throughout Muswellbrook and surrounding communities. In regional areas especially, projects like Mt Pleasant create long-term job stability and flow-on benefits for retail, transport, hospitality, and service industries.

The operation also contributes substantial royalties and taxes that support public infrastructure, healthcare, education, and community services across New South Wales. Approving the extension would provide certainty for workers and businesses who rely on the mine and help maintain economic confidence in the region.

Mt Pleasant operates under strict environmental regulations and modern mining standards. Any extension would remain subject to comprehensive environmental assessment, ongoing monitoring, and rehabilitation requirements, ensuring responsible land and water management continues.

As energy markets transition, maintaining regulated and responsible operations such as Mt Pleasant helps ensure stability rather than sudden disruption to regional communities.

For these reasons — regional employment, economic sustainability, and continued regulatory oversight — I support approval of the Mt Pleasant Coal Mine extension.

I have been employed by MACH Energy for ten years. My family and I depend on the Mount Pleasant Operation for our livelihoods. All my colleagues at MACH Energy also depend on Mount Pleasant's continued operation, as do around 1,000 people from our contractors Thiess, Sedgman and many smaller suppliers and community organisations. As a result of continued "law fare" by minority activists, our livelihoods and the economic future of the region has been put at risk. These activists have private incomes and care little about working people and their aspirations.
We want to see a secure future for Mount Pleasant so we can continue to provide secure well paying jobs to a community already under pressure from mine closure. Mount Pleasant should be the "safety net" the community needs in the face of other mines closing. I urge the NSW Planning Minister to approve Modification 8 to give our employees and the community the job security they richly deserve.