Please go ahead, will create local jobs

The HVO North continuation project is important to the local community and surrounding areas. PROGRAMMED employ over 250+ individuals within HVO operations mostly of a permanent nature, with a large number of internal staff in Singleton to support this. HVO and PROGRAMMED combined have the ability to supply substantial amounts of opportunities for individuals to enter the mining industry through our traineeship program, which this continuation project would further provide these opportunities.

I believe this project is worthy of approval for the following reasons.
It provides jobs and significant income for employees, contractors and suppliers.
This mine provides significant income for the government through royalties and taxes.
I believe HVO are environmentally conscious and focused.
HVO provides employment opportunities for young people through traineeships and apprenticeships.
I do not believe we are set up for alternative energy sources on a large scale to provide electricity to a growing population and continuation of this mine allows some security until other large scale energy sources are implemented.

HVO is a long stading responsible project that creates opurtunities for both indivuals and contractors, many peolple and families rely on this project approval.

I support the project I live in local area and have a young family Hvo really does a lot for the local area and huntervalley continued minning Will support local businesses local jobs and assure family’s in area have away of making a income please approve this project.

local jobs

The future of our region depends on the continuation of the already established mining leases and their local expenditure, and ongoing employment opportunities that keep people living and working in the immediate area. It has been widely publicized that three local mines and the power stations are already winding down and commencing their process for closure in the next three years. Idemitsu Muswellbrook Coal, Glencore’s Mangoola Coal, BHP Mt Arthur Coal and Liddell Power Station will all be closing their operations resulting in a significant downturn in the local and state economy. Many residents and businesses are concerned about the long-term future of the mining industry in the Hunter and the financial and employment ramifications that will follow if HVO is forced to decrease operations as well.

I object to this project because it will be the most polluting project in NSW since the Paris Agreement: Glencore and Yancoal’s Hunter Valley Operations Continuation Project would be responsible for 1.2 billion tonnes of total carbon emissions and is the single largest new coal project proposed in NSW since the Paris Agreement.

This project is also a part of eight new coal mine proposals in the NSW planning system right now (which are all likely to determined in 2023) representing the largest increase of new coal capacity proposed in NSW since the Paris Agreement entered into force at the end of 2016.

Furthermore, coal mining emissions in NSW are the only sector that the NSW Government predicts will increase this decade. Under the latest ‘current policy scenario’ in the ‘NSW Greenhouse Gas Emission Projections, 2021−2050’ - published on 20 January 2023 - fugitive emissions from coal mines (open cut and underground) are projected to increase by ~10% from 11.63 Mt CO2-e in 2020 to 12.8 Mt CO2-e in 2030.

HVO is seeking permission to double annual Scope 1 GHG emissions (mainly fugitive methane and diesel emissions released during mining) from the 0.56 Mt CO2-e reported in their 2021 Annual Environmental Review to an average of 1.19 Mt CO2-e for the next 27 years (Table 30, Pg 87 of Appendix H - Air quality and GHG).

HVO is seeking approval to double its own direct GHG emissions at a time when the NSW Government’s policy is to reduce GHG emissions by 70% by 2035.

This Project seeks approval to more than triple Scope 1 fugitive methane emissions from 182,625t CO2-e projected for 2023 to 590,284 t CO2-e in 2030. The Global Methane Pledge (to which Australia is a signatory) requires at least a 30% cut in methane emissions globally by 2030.

Instead of electrifying their mining fleet to eliminate diesel emissions, Yancoal and Glencore are applying to steadily increase their diesel emissions. This Project seeks approval to increase it’s Scope 1 diesel emissions by 43% from 414,245t CO2-e in 2023 to 592,462 t CO2-e in 2035.

This project would also seriously damage Significant Aboriginal cultural heritage values , therefore the Plains Clans of the Wonnarua People object to any expansion of open cut coal mining at HVO.

In October 2022, the NSW IPC found that Aboriginal cultural heritage values adjacent to this Project would be “harmed” by Glencore’s ‘Glendell Continued Operations Project’ (COP). This was one of the key reasons the Glendell COP project was refused consent.

Lock the Gate understands that the Plains Clans of the Wonnarua People (PCWP)’s have lodged a Section 10 application to the Commonwealth under the ATSIHP Act to protect Aboriginal Cultural Heritage in this area and that this application is still afoot. This application was material to the NSW IPC’s refusal of the Glendell COP and also covers portions of the HVO Project area.

I completely support this project 100%. This project is both viable to industry and community and without it will impact both industry and community way if life. Mining is valuable for everyone. The continuation will provide assistance with economy and keeping 1500 people and their families in employment. HVO are very conscientious with environment and sustainability . My support for this project is unwavering. Thank you