I OBJECT

I object to the Wollongong Coal's Revised Preferred Project Report (PPR)
to the Russell Vale Underground Expansion Project 09-0013.

Some of the reasons for my objection are listed below.

Climate change and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

Coal mining, whether for energy or steelmaking, produces the GHG
Emissions that are causing dangerous climate change. This project is
estimated to result in 11,624,000 tonnes of GHG emissions through the
mining and the burning of the coal.
A risk to Greater Sydney Water Catchment

The mining will take place in the Special Areas of the Greater Sydney
Water Catchment - areas that forbid public access because of their
sensitivity and strategic importance - and up to the shores of the
Cataract Reservoir.
Not only will the mining infrastructure, such as access roads and vent
shafts, disturb and damage the catchment, the proposal for Bord and
Pillar mining will result in up to 100 mm in subsidence.
The extraction for the Wonga Central Development Mains extends under
the Cataract Reservoir itself. Cataract is severely affected by
drought and is currently at only 29% of capacity. Mining should not be
permitted anywhere near Great Sydney water supply reservoirs.
Triple seam mining

The mining is particularly risky because a third seam of coal is being
mined beneath two previously mined seams. Triple seam mining has
little precedent and impacts are difficult to predict.
The proponent admits that instability in the overlaying old Bulli seam
workings may cause pillar collapse and subsequent subsidence of 1 to 2
metres. It is unacceptable of the NSW government to allow such risky
mining in the water catchment for 5 million people of Greater Sydney
in a time of drought.
The proponent is not fit and proper to hold a mining licence

Wollongong Coal and its parent company Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, are
currently the subject of an investigation by the NSW government's
Resources Regulator into whether or not they are a `fit and proper'
entity to hold a mining license. The company has a history of failing
to comply with conditions of approval. Even its auditors have
questioned its capacity to continue as a going concern; its current
liabilities exceed its current assets by nearly A$1 billion.
Wollongong Coal is not a `fit and proper' entity to operate a coal
mine in the water catchment of Australia's largest city.
Impacts on local community

The colliery site at Russell Vale is closer to dense residential areas
than any mine in Australia. Residential communities have suffered the
impacts from this mine over many years, including noise and
particulate pollution. In this day and age, Russell Vale is not a
suitable location for a colliery.
Wollongong Coal plans to build a coal processing plant at the Russell
Vale Colliery and process coal on site. The Russell Vale mine is the
closest mine to any built up residential area in Australia and is not
a suitable area for coal processing. Moreover, the proponent has been
unable or unwilling to comply with many conditions of past approvals
and the NSW government has proven to be unable or unwilling to enforce
compliance. Residents have no confidence in "conditions" or
"commitments" to operate the processing plant according to suitable
standards.
The proponent has a history of non-compliance with approval conditions

Previous applications and approvals promised numerous items to protect
the community and environment that have never been met by the
proponent. These include but are not limited to: truck loading
facilities, sound walls, covered conveyors, limited stockpiles, sealed
roadways and realignment of Bellambi Creek. Now in this new revised
project, Wollongong Coal is promising the same or similar things.
Wollongong Coal is currently operating right at this moment under
three non-compliances: the realignment of Bellambi Creek to protect it
from pollution and flooding (due Oct 2012); the removal of 200,000
tonnes of oversize coal that was illegally stockpiled on the adjoining
slag heap (due July 2019); and, the dedication of land to Council in a
1989 approval from Wollongong City Council (due 1990). All of these
obligations still have not been met.
A proponent with such a poor record of compliance should not be
considered for, let alone granted, approval to mine. The NSW
Department of Planning's inability or unwillingness to enforce
compliance (with the conditions that it itself has stipulated)
undermines confidence in the planning system.
We ask that you reject this application from Wollongong Coal and
commence a process to close the mine at Russell Vale permanently.

Thank you for considering this submission.

Yours sincerely,

I object

I object to Wollongong Coal Ltd's Russell Vale Underground Expansion
Proposal, Revised Preferred Project.
I understand that the revised project is to use bord and pillar mining
instead of longwall mining. However, it involves mining under two
previously mined seams. Triple seam mining has little precedent, with
impacts difficult to predict, which is worrying. In the proposal it is
admitted that instability in the overlaying old Bulli seam workings
may cause pillar collapse and subsequent subsidence. It is also stated
in the proposal that large areas of the surface within the proposed
area are on the verge on moving, as a result of previous mining,
having not stabilised since the mining of longwalls 4, 5 and 6,
several years ago. So, clearly it is possible for the proposed
bord-and-pillar mining to cause further subsidence. I am worried that
with current instability and possible further subsidence, what could
be the impact too of possible increased weather events, as predicted
as we see the effects of climate change, eg possible tremors or more
serious floods, like those of 1998?
Of course, of great concern are the potential impacts of more mining
in our drinking water catchment areas. The revised project will cause
more losses of groundwater and surface water, estimated to be 298ML
per year, which is the annual equivalent of water usage of 2500
people. In addition water is draining into Russell Vale mine from the
closed Cordeau and Corrimal mines. Wollongong Coal proposes to only
manage the outflow from the accumulating water for 10 years. What
happens then?
The Russell Vale coal mine is situated in a large residential area and
therefore there are impacts on local residents. It is proposed that
coal will now be processed on site, with action to be taken to reduce
the impacts. However, as in the past conditions have not always been
honoured, I think there is reason to be concerned about this.
There will also be increased trucks constantly going to and from the
mine, through the local area. Traffic has already increased
considerably in the area and will continue to grow. The addition of
many more trucks daily will add to noise, fuel pollution and traffic
flow problems.
I am most concerned that questions have been raised about Wollongong
Coal's solvency, with an auditor saying its debts far outstrip its
assets. Wollongong Coal has declared a loss of $379 million for the
year, lodging its annual report with the Australian Securities
Exchange. Liabilities are reported to be around $1 billion. Their
auditor, UHY Haines Norton is quoted as saying, "A material
uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on the group's
ability to continue as a going concern and therefore, the group may be
unable to realise its assets and discharge its liabilities in the
normal course of business". Wollongong Coal says it is restructuring
its debt payment arrangements and has a loan facility from parent
company Jindal Steel and Power. (https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/6294659/wollongong-coal-has-a-1-billion-debt-problem-auditor/)
Questions raised by the NSW Resources Regulator in 2016 as to whether
Wollongong Coal was a `fit and proper' entity to hold a mining licence
are not yet answered.

I am also very concerned that the company has a history of
non-compliance with approval conditions, including the illegal
stockpiling of 200,000 tonnes of coal and the still outstanding
realignment of Bellambi Creek, meant to protect it from pollution and
flooding. Their failings to honour some past compliance requirements
and their current reported financial situation does little to inspire
confidence in this current project.

Climate change is now broadly accepted as a reality and that serious
action needs to be taken without further delay. We must urgently take
extreme steps to reduce our overall GHG emissions, including being
accountable for all Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions caused by coal mining.
A sustainable future depends on it and every new coal project takes us
in the wrong direction.
Also, in NSW we are experiencing drought, we have water restrictions
in place and the desalination plant is now operating (which will only
supply around15% of Sydney's needs). How can we risk more water loss
in the catchments? We are seeing towns in NSW running out of water and
others with imminent serious issues. Once again, with climate change
being a reality, security of our water has to be a top priority. It
makes no sense to allow new coal projects in the drinking water
catchments that provide drinking water to over five million people.
Water must be acknowledged as being our most precious resource.
I oppose this proposed expansion.

Dear Sir / Madam,
I am writing to urge the Department to reject the expansion
application on a number of grounds:

1. The mine will further risk our drinking water. There is already
considerable evidence that longwall mining affects the drinking
catchments where it is located and there is a desperate need for more
studies to explain how important areas like Cataract Gorge have
experienced so much damage - likely because of mining.

2. The mine will add considerable greenhouse gas pollution through the
burning of the end product further exacerbating dangerous runaway
climate change. It really is a complete folly to allow more investment
into this industry that is proven to be killing people and threatening
our ongoing survival as a species.

3. The mine will only prolong dead-end jobs in a structurally
declining industry when the focus should be on assisting workers in
the industry to retrain into more sustainable industries.

4. There is a large body of evidence that the parent company of
Wollongong Mines is unfit to undertake business and will likely not
have the funds to remediate any affected land, pay it's suppliers and
workers and taxes.

I have lived in the Wollongong and Picton areas for my entire life.
One of my earliest jobs was assisting my father undertake surveying of
houses and areas affected by longwall minining in the Picton,
Yerrinbool, Appin areas. I have seen the terrible impacts of longwall
mining first hand and read, year after year of the impacts on our
waterways.

I strongly urge you to reject this application and urge the company to
instead invest in sustainable industries.

Sincerely,
Reece Turner
Thirroul

Dear Sir / Madam,
I am writing to urge the Department to reject the expansion
application on a number of grounds:

1. The mine will further risk our drinking water. There is already
considerable evidence that longwall mining affects the drinking
catchments where it is located and there is a desperate need for more
studies to explain how important areas like Cataract Gorge have
experienced so much damage - likely because of mining.

2. The mine will add considerable greenhouse gas pollution through the
burning of the end product further exacerbating dangerous runaway
climate change. It really is a complete folly to allow more investment
into this industry that is proven to be killing people and threatening
our ongoing survival as a species.

3. The mine will only prolong dead-end jobs in a structurally
declining industry when the focus should be on assisting workers in
the industry to retrain into more sustainable industries.

4. There is a large body of evidence that the parent company of
Wollongong Mines is unfit to undertake business and will likely not
have the funds to remediate any affected land, pay it's suppliers and
workers and taxes.

I have lived in the Wollongong and Picton areas for my entire life.
One of my earliest jobs was assisting my father undertake surveying of
houses and areas affected by longwall minining in the Picton,
Yerrinbool, Appin areas. I have seen the terrible impacts of longwall
mining first hand and read, year after year of the impacts on our
waterways.

I strongly urge you to reject this application and urge the company to
instead invest in sustainable industries.

Sincerely,
Reece Turner
Thirroul

Dear Sir/Madam,

As a resident and citizen I object to the proposal mostly on the
grounds of its impact on our drinking water.

If our drinking water is compromised or ebbs away, what then? The fact
that we are forced to beg for its protection shows the utter madness
of it all. Please act in the long term interests of our children and
grand children. Thankyou for reading my submission.

I object to this proposal which endangers our health, our land and our
lives. We have had enough.

I strongly object to the Underground expansion Project proposed by
Wollongong Coal for the following reasons.
My children and grandchildren live in close proximity to the Russell
Vale mine and I believe any further development in such a highly
populated area would prove to be environmentally dangerous and have
adverse effects on my family's health.
The number of truck movements suggested, ie up to 32 per hour and not
including waste removal trucks, is untenable. Memorial Drive carries
enough traffic as it is without adding the hazard of huge trucks
mingling with residents, workers and school buses.
The waste running into Bellambi Creek will foul our beautiful beaches.
Wollongong Coal has a disastrous record both environmentally and
financially. Already owing Wollongong Council over $400,000, one has
to question the wisdom of entering into business with them again!
I understand that the coal the proponents intend to produce, will not
be used for local steel.
The issue of water loss for the greater Sydney region is most
concerning and I will let others with greater scientific
qualifications submit their supporting data.
In this year of 2019, when the world is calling out for the closure of
coal mines and possessing the knowledge to expand our production of
Sustainable Energy, it is highly desirable, that Wollongong Council
become leaders in the race to forge a new way of producing clean
energy.
I urge Wollongong Council to display true courage and knock this
Underground Expansion Project on the head for the greater benefit of
its ratepayers, residents and visitors to this beautiful part of the
NSW Coast.

I'm really frustrated with how a council and or small government will
probably go-ahead with this proposal, even though the overwhelming
majority of citizens are strongly against this.
This is the people's land, the traditional owner's land, this is going
to impact the local and broader environment for decades, if not
centuries, to come.
Coal is dead, stop mining this antiquated fuel which can only created
CO2.
please.....