When I bought my house in 2003 there were no coal trains that went north
of the Gunnedah CHPP.
Idemitsu Boggabri commenced in 2006, now exporting 7,000,000 MTA
equating to 875 trains P/A.
Narrabri Underground commenced in 2010/11 now exporting 8,000,000 MTA
equating to 1,000 trains P/A.
Maules Creek commenced in 2015 and have a target of 12,000,000 MTA or
more equating to 1,500 trains P/A.
Now Whitehaven are seeking to ad a further 1,250 trains P/A or
more.This will be 4625 trains P/A.
All of these trains pass less than 64 meters from my home
boundary.When trains are put on the holding line at Emerald Hill it is
not unusual for them to be there for hours idling the compressed air
relief valve discharges frequently and can be heard clearly from my
home disrupting my sleep as I'm a light sleeper. Further to this the
fumes of diesel smoke drift across into my home making it impossible
to leave doors and windows open.The coal dust off the wagons settles
on my roof which I rely on for water,as there is no town water.My
solar panelsdon't perform to expectations as they are constantly being
covered in coal dust. I have lost several ornaments dear to me through
unexplained movement, which was never evident before. I rented the
Railway Cottage for 2 years before I bought my current premises and
never had a problem of the above mentioned issues. The Railway Cottage
adjoins railway property, so you would think that if there where
vibrations I would have been aware of them. It appears to me that this
has come about with heavier and faster more frequent train movements,
since the opening of several coal mines in the area.

I bought this home in 2003 for the piece and quite country life style
that I craved to see my life out, over the last few years that has
been turned around and ruined by the noise of the coal trains. It
would have detrimental effects and devalue my property if I choose to
sell.

I am local to the area living on a property between Coonabarabran and
Boggabri. I strongly object to this extension of Vickery Mine.
1. Recent report from IPCC stressed the urgency for action on climate
change if we are to keep warming to below <1.5C and we must act within
the next 12 years. Science tells us the best action we can take is to
REDUCE mining/use of fossil fuels. Those who ignore this science will
be CULPABLE for their actions that endanger today's children and their
futures. Legal actions are being taken now against
governments/individuals who wilfully ignore this knowledge. This alone
should be enough to stop this mine extension.
2. We are currently experiencing the worst drought across NSW in many
many decades. Sufficient water remains the vital ingredient to allow
agriculture and communities to exist in this region. Water resources
both surface and underground are currently threatened by large number
of established coal mines in the area. An extension of the mine will
simply add to the dangerous impacts on water resources and is
intolerable for the community. Again decisions that will impact water
in this way will be deemed CULPABLE in the future.
3. The proposed rail crossing over the Namoi River and the floodplain
gives serious concerns as there is a lack of information in the EIS
about the impacts into the future.
4. Forests, biodiversity and threatened species are in danger and
under extreme pressure across our NW region this proposal will simply
exacerbate these threats and especially impact the local koala
population which is highly stressed by the current drought and climate
changes. Offsets are not even proposed and Whitehaven have not even
fulfilled current obligations of offsets for Maules Creek. The company
has an appalling record on this and other factors so that the local
community has no faith in them. Whitehaven have no social licence for
this extension. Enough is enough!
5. The extension will threaten the heritage property "Kurumbede" that
inspired Dorothea Mackellar poems such as "My Country". The people of
NSW and Australia are tired of our heritage both ancient and recent
being sold out to corporate greed and political donations. Stop the
rot now.
6. The proposal will further damage the human, social and agricultural
capital of the town of Boggabri and the surrounding strategic
agricultural farmland .

Please stop this proposal for an extension of the Vickery mine by
Whitehaven. It has nothing to recommend it and will do lasting damage
to the climate, the health of the people, the local agriculture, the
water resources and the community of Boggabri. I strongly object to
this proposal and again remind decision makers that in the future you
will be held accountable and culpable for the damage such approvals
will cause.

As an employee and employer in the mining industry within the region we
support the project to ensure our workforce being members of the
community with sustainable long term opportunities. Without such
projects this would not be possible. Our employees work, live and
spend in local communities and this further promotes a social culture
and economic stability for regional communities to prosper and attract
valued members of the community

Please approve the extension of the Vickery mine.
The region needs the income and employment provided by the mine. And
the large majority of locals love it.
Our economy can only grow if we are producing raw materials and goods
for sale/export.

Our organization strongly supports the Vickery development project. As
global investors in the natural resources space, we only invest in the
highest quality projects and management teams. It is critical to the
improvement of lives of millions of people to have cheap electricity
and steel. The demand for a better life will ensure that the raw
materials to facilitate cheap electricity and steel are desired by the
market place. The key then is to supply the highest quality of such
resources using the highest standards of environmental treatment.
Whitehaven Coal's management team and Vickery project meets these
requirements and therefore should be developed.

The Vickery project will provide additional opportunities for Local
residents, employees and businesses associated with the mining
industry.

I support The Australian Coal industry and with it the Application for
Whitehaven's Vickery Project.

Great for the future

I would like to support the application by Whitehaven Coal Limited
("WHC") for the Vickery Extension Project.

In my personal opinion, I believe WHC is a reliable and well
experienced developer and operator of coal mines who always put great
effort to safety and environmental issues. They are committed to bring
benefits to local communities through employment and many other
things.

I also have a view that WHC has sufficient capability to develop and
operate Vickery Extension Project considering their good relationship
with local community.

I understand that coal produced from Vickery Extension Project would
be semi-soft coking coal, PCI coal and high quality thermal coal.

Demand for high quality thermal coal is still increasing, in
particular in Asian countries. On the other hand, high quality thermal
coal developments in Australia are very limited.

In this regard, I believe Vickery Extension Project is precious not
only to Australia but also for other countries.

Given the above perspectives, I support this project.

I write to you in strong opposition of the proposed expansion of the
Vickery Coal Mine and proposed railway line.

The Vickery Extension Project raises the concerns and doubts of
myself, as I follow the evidence and trepidate previous lifetime
events (Namoi River floods of 1991, 1998 and 2000), I fear for the
Namoi Valley residents, as such a change to the environmental
infrastructure and biosphere will be detrimental. Detrimental not only
to the flora and fauna that ensembles the Namoi Valley, but to the
population as a whole, as people's lives are put in jeopardy with
changed flood levels and damaging pollution resulting from the mine
expansion and railway proposal.

The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) fails to draw attention to
many factual details and omits historical events from its pages. A
damming proof that the Vickery Extension Project has been poorly
orchestrated which will without a doubt be catastrophic for the entire
Liverpool plains food bowl.

I grew up on the flood plain and have experienced numerous floods from
the Namoi River in my life (of note 1998 and 2000). While the events
of a flood are a huge concern for any farming family, whom relies on
the product of the land for their income. It was always reassuring to
know where the water was coming from, how long it would subside for
and at which direction the water would come and leave from. This
knowledge could prepare a farmer, a resident, and scientists for
damage that may occur and safety to ensure no lives are lost in such a
devastating event. With the proposal of the Railway across the flood
plain, this changes the region. It creates a physical barrier for the
natural evolution that the Namoi Valley has developed over the
centuries. This railway line will interfere with flooding levels and
flood velocities below railway openings. This not only creates an
environmental concern but a huge safety concern. As how does a
community now prepare for such an event with the physical barrier of
the railway line? I fear lives of stock and residence on the flood
plain are at risk as a resultant.

The EIS provides no detail of the construction plan of the railway
proposal. Making the prediction of flooding and its effects
impossible. I fear for the safety of myself and my family should such
a flood occur again, which is inevitable.
The EIS assumes that the tributary flows do not coincide with the peak
Namoi River flows, this assumption is unreliable and preposterous,
questioning how they can believe the science?
In 1974 at least 200 metres of the railway line, where the indicative
line joins the main Werris Creek - Mungindi Line was washed out, due
to flooding. Clearly no more physical restrictions such as a railway
line are needed in this area.

Another huge concern of mine is the noise and dust pollution that not
only the expansion of the Vickery Coal mine will create, but is
further carried along the eco chain by the proposed railway. I
certainly do not want my young family being congested with the coal
dust, which causes asthma and has the potential to initiate lung
cancer. The proposed railway line runs adjacent to the site (metres
away) from the building site for my family home. I have been given no
evidence or reassurance from the mining bodies to ensure that this
will not affect me or my families health. This makes living there a
non-viable option. Science must be accurate and non-biased to present
forth the issues to deliver a fair and well balanced argument for the
safety of the coal dust that is already proven, to be a silent and a
dirty killer. The noise pollution also raises a significant issue,
highlighting the disturbance to sleep patterns and general wellbeing.
Again, no independent research has been done on this issue to project
an accurate an unbiased account.

Perhaps my biggest concern is the mental health for all of those
affected by the Vickery Coal Mine Extension. The dirty tricks that the
Whitehaven management and administration have used, their lies and
inconsistent practises leaves families, residents and communities in a
vulnerable and exposed state. 2018 is a progressive year, that
supports mental health and helps those who have been treated poorly
and manipulated into unjust situations. The Vickery Coal Mine
Extension does not support the mental health and well-being of those
affected by their mine. The Whitehaven management have bullied my
family, as well as other families and the community into submission. I
know I felt despair and helplessness following a meeting I first had
with a Coalworks administrator, in 2010. This has only escalated over
the past 8 years and now the feeling of despair and helplessness has
been exacerbated and spiralled out of control. These bullying tactics
is narcissist in nature and illegal, not to mention morally wrong. The
possessive nature and forcibility that a multi-million dollar company
such as Whitehaven has is scandalous and to use their money as power
to belittle and enslave persons to their cause should be accounted
for. Whitehaven plays that residents and communities will run out of
money and will-power to fight what is rightfully theirs so they can
continue to obliterate the environment and peoples lives.

In my presented submission I have touched only on the surface of
issues that the expansion of the Vickery Coal mine and proposed
railway line projects. Human safety being at the forefront of my
concerns, which one would hope was also at the forefront of
Whitehaven's concerns, sadly it is not.

I believe that quite high quality coal produced in Gunnedah would keep
contributing to many areas in the world through clean coal technology.
I know there are various opinion against coal, however, usage of clean
coal is very important for sustainable growth of people's lives in the
world. I think keep improving clean coal supply chain is quite
important responsibility of developed countries like Australia and
Japan.

The increasing demand for higher quality coal is a real fact. On the
other hand, the remaining resources of high quality coal in Australia,
especially thermal coal with high caloric value, low ash and low
sulfur, is quite limited now. To meet growing demand for high quality
thermal coal from many areas in the world, I think the Vickery
Extension Project is an inevitable piece of clean coal supply chain.

The Project would contribute to the economy of the Gunnedah area and
NSW not only through large employment but also tax revenue. Whitehaven
has shown its ability of mining business through its existing mines,
as well as its strong commitment to the local society. I know
Whitehaven always seek for the best in safety, environment and
local/indigenous community all the time. I strongly believe its
further efforts on this project as well.

I'm currently working in Australian coal mining sector, including some
mines in Gunnedah basin in NSW. Through this experience I wish to show
my support for the Project.