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I have requested my name address not to be published on the website

The United Wambo Open Cut Coal Project is a very flawed proposal for many reasons, mainly the issues of biodiversity and final voids concern me.
Because this proposal is amongst a 'super-pit' there are even greater concerns as the impacts become even more concentrated.
The two very large final voids that will result in the development of this proposal is an unacceptable consequence of mining - there must be no final voids as they are environmentally unsustainable.
the Hunter River and Wollombi Brook will lose even more base flows if mining is increased - this is totally unacceptable in this water catchment of this most degraded working river of NSW.
An important area of critically endangered species woodland will be destroyed by the development of this mine - The habitat for 20 threatened species will be destroyed, and cannot be replaced or offset.
The cumulative impacts on community health for the communities of the Hunter is being impacted with every new or enlarged coal mine development - this is not sustainable for good health outcomes.
Communities in the Hunter deserve better treatment by governments of all persuasions.

Please advise that you have received the five attachments which make up our submission of objection to the proposal

This project proposes clearing 464ha of vegetation, close to half of which is Central Hunter Valley Eucalypt Forest, a critically endangered ecological community under the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act.

We need to phase out dirty coal power and push for renewables- our climate is perfect for making use of more modern technology! Keep it in the ground!!

This project proposes clearing 464ha of vegetation, close to half of which is Central Hunter Valley Eucalypt Forest, a critically endangered ecological community under the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act.

Development consent should be refused. This development will clear 223ha of a critically endangered ecological community, including moderate to good quality patches that are critical to the community's survival.

The proponent's biodiversity offset' package will protect just 7% of the required area of this community protection as existing woodland. In contrast 56% of the offset requirement is proposed to be met through future mine rehabilitation. This is a clear violation of the 25% limit on meeting offset obligations through mine rehab promises, and is a clear indication that impacts on this community cannot be offset and the mine should be refused consent.

38 nearby residences are predicted to be impacted by increased noise pollution from this project. This area of the Hunter has been severely depopulated because of large scale mining, and further loss of farmers and private residents will cause ongoing destruction of regional social fabric. Increased dust emissions will also exacerbate health problems in the region.

Threatened species such as the Spotted-tailed Quoll will lose important habitat if this project proceeds. These species are already in severe trouble and any further loss of habitat will drive them towards extinction.

This mine and the three surrounding it will cause more than two metres draw down in the productive alluvial aquifers of the Hunter River and Wollombi Brook. The cumulative loss of water and productivity in these water sources and the wholesale destruction of surface water catchments for their tributaries is already too great.

This project has been developed at the expense of the owners of the United mine fulfilling obligations to close and remediate a mine that has been inoperational for six years and which was supposed to cease mining altogether four years ago.

It's going to leave behind two final voids, and delay rehabilitation at both the United and Wambo mine sites. Final voids are an unacceptable impact of mining that damage waterways for hundreds of years into the future, and are not wanted by the NSW community.

This is the first mine to be assessed under new economic assessment guidelines, but the economics of it don't stack up.

There's increased unemployment in the local area for this project since early 2014. Over the same period at least half a dozen damaging mine expansion projects were approved by the State Government on the basis that doing so would be good for employment in the region. New mine approvals are not securing jobs in the Hunter, and we need another strategy.

This mine is going to exacerbate the oversupply of coal in the export market, which has been a key driver of job losses. Further oversupply will drive further drops in the price of coal and this will lead to lay-offs and even mine closures, as it has in the last two years.

Despite applying the new economic guidelines, the assessment of the mine fails to include the economic cost of worsening air quality from coarse particle pollution and lost water from the Hunter River and Wollombi Brook.

It also fails to include the economic cost of the downstream greenhouse gas emissions from the coal mined at the site. The downstream emissions likely to be generated by this project are 259.3 million tonnes. Applying the per tonne carbon costs used in the economic assessment in Appendix 19, this would result in costs of a staggering $2.3-4.9 billion, dramatically reversing the proponent's claim that this mine will have a net economic benefit.

The Hunter Valley can't afford to lose any more of its critically endangered remnant woodland. It can't afford any worsening air quality or any more draw down of its rivers and alluvial aquifers. It can't afford to worsen the oversupply of coal that is costing jobs. It cannot afford this mine, and the project should not be approved.

In terms of future economics the top soil is more valuable with 7 billion people on the planet and rising than the coal below.
It has not been made evident of what the plan is for the harvesting and re-distribution of this valuable commodity will be.
The loss of biodiversity is not acceptable for flora fauna and human betterment.
It is ugly from every view point.

Submission attached