Dear NSW Planning and Environment team,

It is alarming that the proposal from Wollongong Coal is being
considered when it endangers water catchments in built-up areas of
high population. Wollongong Coal does not have a good record as a
company that can be relied upon to do the right thing with our natural
resources and the general good of the community.
While they are currently caught up in a number of business and tax
compliance issues and fair-trading cases with ASIC and the Department
of Fair Trading, they are also putting workers safety and health at
risk due to future subsidence concerns and the loss of water to
catchment areas in a time of severe drought.

It would be highly irresponsible of government officials to approve
this. My family, who live in the area face immediate and long-term
degradation to their environment, including loss of water supply,
contamination of local waterways and underground water, increased
pollution from trucks on local roads and further damaging emissions
from the mining activities that are widely prevalent. The
rehabilitation plan is insufficient to the projected impacts on the
underground water supply. Ten years of planned water management is
hardly enough for the decades long impacts. My niece is only 3 and
would suffer from this for much longer than 10 years.

Coal mining, as has been researched and investigated by many experts,
has a poor benefit to our future communities and way of life. There
are clean options for industry and jobs that we can invest in for
everyone's future, not just a few company directors. This is a dirty
company that the NSW government and taxpayers should not have to
contend with. Even our local council has put orders on them to behave
better. As a long compliant tax-payer, I ask that you do not allow
them to expand their operations.
Kind regars,
Sarah Park

I am objecting to this particular expansion of the coal mine out of fear
of the environmental, social and economic impacts on my community.
This mine has previously caused substantial damage to the water
catchment tributaries through the long wall mining method. Longwall
mining causes subsidence and cracking of the surface, water is then
lost through the cracks and if it does re-emerge further down stream
it is poisoned with heavy metals, turning a fluro orange colour
(images can be found at:
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/sustainability/shocking-mining-damage-in-sydney-s-catchment-prompts-calls-for-halt-20190726-p52azm.html).
This is the water I and my community drink. As a student studying a
bachelor of conservation biology at the University of Wollongong I am
well aware of the ecological impacts of such mining on flora and fauna
in the area, I am also concerned about the mining under swamps in the
area. Swamps play an integral role in the storing and slow release of
water during drought, when longwall mining is completed below the
surface swamps have completely lost this retention ability and have
not been seen to recover. This type of mining under our precious water
catchment is reckless especially in times of such unpredictable
drought, we are already on water restrictions and dam levels are
recorded well below 50%. It is a human right to have access to clean
and affordable water and I believe this expansion is threatening that
right. Although mining for metallurgical coal is still a necessity and
contributes greatly to the Illawarra economy, it is still infinitely
less valuable than life giving water that we all need to survive. I
hope that this will be well considered in the approvals and
regulations enforced on Wollongong Coal's operations.

hi, I am alarmed at this proposal. Wollongong Coal is not a company to be
trusted with mining under our water catchment or with our natural
resources.

They are currently under suspension on the ASX as they have not been
able to prove to ASIC that they are financially viable. They have 3
non-compliance orders currently imposed. They have had recent rulings
against them from Fair Trading for underpayment of workers. They are
extracting Australian natural resources and selling them to a parent
company who supplies them with loans to keep them mining. There are
links to tax havens in the parent companies so also are avoiding tax.

The mine plans are risky to workers health and safety with subsidence
concerns with multi layered cuttings. The plan is a further risk to
water losses in our catchment area in a time of drought and climate
change. These risks should not be entertained.

The costs to locals such as myself are loss of water supply, loss of
ecosystem in surrounds, addition of truck movements on local roads,
addition of emissions from activities, a risk of polluting local
waterways and underground water.

The rehabilitation plan is insufficient to the projected impacts on
the underground water supply. Ten years of planned water management is
hardly enough for the decades long impacts.

I am puzzled beyond belief at why we would want such a poor corporate
entity to take on risks with very little foreseeable benefit to our
community. We should instead be looking at installing hydro power
stations and renewable energy such as wind turbines in the same areas
as these coal mines to add security to the grid, replace coal jobs and
encourage cleaner industry to the area. Even a floating solar plant
over the water catchment would make far more sense considering it many
benefits including lowering water evaporation over the catchment
areas.

There are clean options for industry and jobs. This is a dirty company
(in so many respects) that the NSW government and taxpayers should not
have to contend with. Even our local council has put orders on them to
behave better. Do not allow them to expand their operations. Insead,
they should have their licenses revoked considering the above.

I support the Project as the revised bord and pillar mining method
minimises subsidence to very low levels with minimal impacts to
groundwater and the catchment area. The continued operation of the
Russell Vale Colliery will continue mine employment and provide
ongoing economic contribution for the Illawarra and community.

I support the Project as the Company has responded to the
environmental issues raised and has come up with a revised mining
method that will minimise subsidence and groundwater impacts to the
catchment.

I support the Project as Wollongong Coal has been innovative to
redesign the mining method to limit environmental issues on the water
catchment.

I support extending the life of mine for Russell Vale Colliery because
it will secure employment for the proposed workforce of 205 employees
and will provides an additional 22 jobs during the construction phase
of the project.
I support the Project as it will provide an estimated a net benefit to
NSW of $174.3 million and an estimated net benefit of up to $14.2
million to the local Illawarra region.

I support the Project as I consider this proposal as very important to
the Illawarra region for ongoing employment.

I support the Project as I feel that mining is an important industry
for the Illawarra region.

I support the Project as it is great for the community and jobs.

The RVC has been part of this region for almost 200 years, and is vital
to supporting the local economy. Supplying jobs at all levels, and
also adding to the community via CCC and also the EPA and DPE on
projects, to make them the better of the necessary evils. I heartily
support this endeavour and the improvement to the industry this will
bring.

I'm in favour of the expansion. Previously employed by the company,I have
seen the work which has gone into the site for expansion. Working at
mine sites in the area I have noticed one thing, Russell Vale colliery
can be seen from the prince's hwy and surrounding areas, where other
mines aren't so visible,which I think has brought people to dislike
the mine. I have lived with the mine in my bedroom window for the past
40 odd years and have had no problems. With the mine restarting again
it will bring more money into the local area,more local sports club
sponsorship etc. Just remember the mine has been there long before a
lot of these people against mine have. The current owners have worked
hard and still working hard to give theine a good name after the
previous owner. So in my personal opinion give the mine the thumbs up.

I support the continuation of mining at Russell Vale so long as the right
process and due diligence is completed.

Please DO NOT go ahead with the expansion of the Wollongong Coal
Underground Expansion Project.

Our generation is the last to be able to save us from the worst
effects of climate change. We can't afford the estimated 11,624,000
tonnes of GHG emission that this project will create. Time is running
out to save our planet and projects like this are just speeding up our
demise.

Not to mention the risks to the Greater Sydney Water Catchment. Public
access is forbidden in the area due to it's sensisitviy and strategic
importance, yet this company wants to come in with damaging mining
infrastructure potentially damaging the area.

Please put common sense and the wishes of the community above the big
business.

The company in question is currently under investigation by the NSW
government's Resources Regulator into whether or not they are a `fit
and proper entity to hold a mining license. They have a long history
of non-compliance with approval conditions, so anything you do to try
and safe guard the site can just be ignored for profit.

Are these the type of people we can trust to do the right thing? I
think not.

Please reject this proposal in its entirety.

According to a paper published by an Australian think tank, a likely
climate scenario is by 2050; water availability decreases, affecting 2
billion people; agriculture becomes unviable in the subtropics; deadly
heat waves of 100 days persist in South East Asia, the Middle East and
South America; and eco system collapse of the Amazon, coral reefs, and
the Arctic.

(Paper can be found here
https://www.livescience.com/65633-climate-change-dooms-humans-by-2050.html)

This proposed project directly contributes to our climate emergency
and imminent ecosystem collapse.

To contrast with benefits of the project, it would provide 60 short
term jobs. It is worth repeating: projects such as this that emit
carbon will affect the water availability of 2 billion people
worldwide. This project is beyond irresponsible. It is no exaggeration
to say it will have deadly consequences on a global scale.

I support the Project as the revised bord and pillar mining method
minimises subsidence to very low levels with minimal impacts to
groundwater and the catchment area. The continued operation of the
Russell Vale Colliery will continue mine employment and provide
ongoing economic contribution for the Illawarra and community.