i object to the mine expansion at Mt Pleasant. as my family has just bought property in the town of Muswellbrook we want the air to be as clean as possible. this mine will only make the air quality worse. with the clean energy revolution we are hoping that all the mines in the area will close down very soon. opening up this one is totally unacceptable and crazy. as you should know that coal dust is a toxic substance that is harmful to the health of people. so it is your responsibility to not do anything that harms peoples health.

If this is not approved I may have to leave the area to find work as mining is my only skill set. We are a family who live locally and job security is of the up most importance to us as we need it to live. If it does not get approved we will have to relocate and support a town that supports us.

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the traffic on this street is really very bad, especially during school events, all of the students family card parked on the both side of our street. if they increased the size of the school the traffic will be a major issues. and it will badly effect the normal life of all of the residents here.

As an employee of the Mount Pleasant Operation, this role has provided me with stable employment for the last 3 years, this has helped provide a stable and comfortable home life for my family. MPO is also very active amongst the local community and support a wide range of sporting groups, educational and health awareness campaigns as well as pathways for local Indigenous residents to upskill / work in industries that they would otherwise be overlooked.

Thiess is in full support of the Mount Pleasant Optimisation Project and looks forward to contributing to the long-term success of the Mount Pleasant Operation and Hunter region.

I object to the Mount Pleasant Optimisation proposal and seek that an Independent Planning Commission reviews the proponents technical reports, particular water and final void impacts, Hunter River impacts, and cumulative impacts particularly on water, air quality and dust. This is not a straightforward or simple extension of activities – it is increased rate of activities with expansion of mining. We need more time to properly consider this new proposal and its impacts on our future, our businesses and community – 4 weeks is not enough time to expect individuals, farmers and small businesses to get across over 6,500 pages of technical information. The mining company takes years to prepare these documents and has deep pockets and access to experts. We do not. It must be remembered that for the people this mine negatively impacts – it is not their day job to monitor and respond to ongoing and draining government mining proposals. If the Department and Government were genuine about community consultation they should give us enough time to respond.Previously the EPA and Department of Health during the Modification assessment criticised the proposal for discharge in to the Hunter and cumulative air quality deterioration. An acceleration and expansion will increase all impacts.

The Hunter needs economic diversity. Sustainable agricultural and tourism industries and these jobs should not be sacrificed for mining. Governments should end the land use conflict in the Hunter by protecting our lands, water and agricultural / tourism industries.

I support the MACH Energy Australia (Mount Pleasant Mine) SSD application. Mount Pleasant currently has the most stringent consent conditions of any mine in the Hunter Valley . It is well managed and is proactive in all facets of its mining and offset compliances.
It contributes not only to the State and Muswellbrook revenue but also to the communities of Merriwa and Gunnedah where their Offset properties are located.
Without the VPA contributions from mining, townships like Muswellbrook and Singleton would not have the facilities currently afforded to them.
You do not see the racing industry contributing similar amounts of money to the community unless it directly involves racing, typically in this area race meetings like the Scone Cup. Of course the horse studs utilise the local road infrastructure, much of which is provided for through the mines local government contributions.
The Racing and Breeding industry will have you believe that they were "here first" - this is a fallacy. You only have to look at the history of the Muswellbrook region to note that mining, in particular coal mining, was established well before any horse studs were established. Names like Kayuga Coal Company and Muswellbrook Coal were here well before the 1900's. I truly believe that both industries can co-exist, they have done so before and I can see no reason why they can't into the future. Many coal miners and syndicates own and race thoroughbreds born and bred in the Upper Hunter Valley.
Many objections will come from persons who will make unfounded accusations, with little or no scientific base and who remain quite frankly unchallenged. Claims wide and far about the impact of mining, not only Mount Pleasant.
Some objectors/complainants fail to recognise other contributing factors when highlighting the impacts of the Mount Pleasant Mine such as location to rail and road infrastructure. Whilst their right to object/complain remains, consideration should also be given to the motives of such individuals.
Focussing on Mount Pleasant it provides employment for many people, the majority of whom are locally based. Wherever possible local companies are used in the
supply chain. Mount Pleasant's head office was relocated to Newcastle so that the focus can and will remain in the Hunter Valley.
Some will have you believe that coal mining is an ageing dinosaur with little life expectancy. This may or may not be true. However, the majority of analysts still see a future in coal for at least the next thirty (30) years. Mount Pleasant with its low strip ratio coal is in a position to ride out the highs and lows of the industry far better than other older, high ratio mines.
Please consider these comments when making you ruling.

I think that without mining and specifically Mt Pleasant Operations, the social fabric of the Upper Hunter Valley would decline dramaticaly.
As tree changers,myself and my family moved to the Upper Hunter few years ago to find a more connected lifestyle.At first I found it difficult to find regular well paid work even as a qualified construction tradesman of thirty years.After doing some casual work in the mining sector I decided to apply for a mining operator traineeship.I completed the twelve month program and am now a full time employee.
My son who is currently in year ten at school, has ambitions to start his career journey at Mt Pleasant.He has seen what a family can achieve when permanent, full time, well paid work is available. If these opportunities were not available I know that not only my family but hundreds of others just like us would have our lifestyles effected negatively and would probably have to move away from regional NSW.Given the current trend of people wanting to move from densely populated areas to regional NSW,permanent fullime work needs to be available.Mt Pleasant offers these opportunities and along with other mining operations in the valley, have helped create a thriving,prosperous community in this region.I am grateful to be employed at Mt Pleasant Operation and i hope my son can get a rewarding career in mining just as i have.