My submission is in the pdf file below at attachment 1. Thankyou.

Please refer to our submission in the attache letter

Please refer to attached letter.

26th April 2013

Submission of Objection
Watermark Coal Mine
SSD - 4975 Watermark Coal Project


Hunter Environment Lobby Inc (HEL) is a community environmental organization which has been commenting on developments mainly within the Hunter catchment for over fifteen years. We have also been regional representatives on committees with government agencies.

Hunter Environment Lobby Inc wishes to object to this development on environmental, social and economic grounds and asks that we may outline these objections more fully in a submission within the next two weeks.

We are hoping that this may be possible and await for a decision by this department in the near future.

The EIS of this project gives an interesting way of presenting the actions that the proponent may go ahead or not, and supplies up to eight alternatives for that. HEL supports the Number 7 option that is set out in the EIS, that is the `do nothing' alternative.

We do this on the grounds that the noise, dust, soil degradation and runoff, issues have not been adequately examined. There is also inadequate rehabilitation information in the documentation.

Environmental impacts of this development are also unacceptable, and the economic impacts have not been adequately examined, especially in the light of the recent Land and Environment Court Case involving the Warkworth Coal modification in the Upper Hunter.

We await your decision on granting more time to outline fully our objections within the next two weeks, and hope that you may advise us of that decision in a timely manner.

Yours Sincerely


Jan Davis (President)