MANDALONG SOUTHERN EXTENSION PROJECT

APPLICATION SSD 5144

We, the Central Coast Greens, object to the Mandalong Mine Southern Extension Project and wish it to be rejected on the following grounds:-
CLIMATE CHANGE
* The proposed expansion of this mega mine will produce 6Mtpa of coal for the next 21 years working 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Given the coal is high quality thermal coal, basing its CO2 emissions on 78% anthracite with full combustion, this coal mine alone will generate another 8.58Mt of CO2 per annum during the life of the mine up to 2035-6. To prevent dangerous climate change we need to keep 80% of the available coal in the ground, let this be one of the deposits.
* Greenhouse gas emissions added to this are the diesel used in production, fugitive gases and electricity. A trial to flare the methane emissions is not good enough and fugitive emissions must be captured and flared as part of the conditions, at least that reduces the danger of those emissions by a factor of 21. This is noted as a moderate risk in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
* The current working life of the mine finishes in 2018, there should be no more coal extracted from this mine after that date.
WATER RESOURCES
* Groundwater will increase from 3ML in 2018 to 5.9ML in 2035-6 per day. It is proposed to send this toxic salty mine water, laced with heavy metals, up to the Cooranbong exit and in to an unnamed creek before arriving in Muddy Lake which is a modest swamp that then feeds in to Lake Macquarie. This is noted in the EIS as a significant risk.
* There is already slight chronic toxicity to macro-invertebrates species and this will potentially increase the loads of heavy metals and salt discharged in to this unnamed creek. This is unacceptable particularly as the modelling accounts for the 1 in 100 year flooding only. It does not account for the known behaviour of climate change which will mean those one in one hundred rain events will become more frequent and records will be broken. There is no plan to deal with the toxic overflow downstream of these events.
* Putting that much extra water daily into a system will inevitably change the ecosystem, stream banks will suffer and the Muddy Lake swamp will be too wet for too long adversely affecting the natural ecosystem.
* The alluvium across the project area shows unconfined shallow aquifers with the water table
1-3m below the ground level, aquifer thickness is less than 20m. These will only remain if the Munmorah conglomerate and sandstone units are not damaged by subsidence.

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* There is a real risk of loss of groundwater from porous and fractured rock which will affect ecosystems and habitats for many endangered species of fauna and birds.
* Mining has impacted groundwater levels in deeper overburden rocks in the Mandalong Mine's current operations.
FLORA and FAUNA
* Nine hollow bearing trees will be removed with no plans to replace the loss on site with boxes or new plantings. This must be remedied.
* Flora and fauna are at risk over the entire site from loss of water and habitat due to subsidence risk and groundwater loss.
* Centennial Coal states it is a large land owner in the mine site area and appears to think that therefore it has no need for any rehabilitation on its own lands, this is unacceptable as any damage on its lands will affect flora and fauna, ecosystems and surrounding landholders. Centennial Coal must have a rigorous plan of rehabilitation and restoration where possible across its own land as well.
SUBSIDENCE
* Noted in the EIS as a significant risk the loss of vegetation caused by subsidence and loss of habitat around the Mandalong South Surface Site.
* Noted as a moderate risk in the EIS is the effect of subsidence exceeding the safe, serviceable, repair standard requiring acquisition of properties. Given the extreme trauma to landholders and home owners who go through the experience of mine subsidence and the battle for compensation from the Mine Subsidence Board, there should be a binding agreement with an agreed value negotiated now between the potentially adversely affected landholders and Centennial Coal for adequate compensation before mining starts.
* Centennial Coal's figures for subsidence are:-
Longwall mining Panel width Subsidence range
160m 0.08 - 0.46m
180m 0.14-0.87m
200m 0.22-0.74m
Chain pillars subsidence is 0.1-0.94m or 0.12-1.1 plus 20%
Occasional surface cracking 0.27-1.34m
From the EIS diagrams, substantial sections of the following creeks will experience subsidence:-
Moran's Creek 1-1.5m
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Mannering Creek 0.6-0.7m
Wyong Creek 0.5m
Zone A could experience continuous sub-surface cracking of 111-189m
Undermining significant faults may result in higher continuous fracturing, connectivity and water inflow in to mine workings.
The project area will suffer from subsidence, tilting and bending which could result in sandstone boulders being dislodged downslope from the steep areas of the project.
There is the potential for extra subsidence above a previously extracted panel with compression of chain pillars.
This project is adjacent to the proposed development of the Wallarah 2 Coal mine.
The above are all given figures and quotes from the EIS. The EIS always left wriggle room for worse case situations and there can be no confidence in their figures given the history of mine subsidence across the region most notably at Chain Valley Bay in the mid 80's but more alarmingly and recently the serious subsidence in the Mount Sugarloaf State Conservation Area that covers 23% of the area (Sydney Morning Herald 28th August 2013 Donna Page). The Glencore West Wallsend Colliery, formerly Xstrata, was supposed to only experience subsidence over 84ha or 11% of the mine site and has approved plans that have comprehensively failed with much greater than expected subsidence in its longwall 41 section.
This gives no confidence to the above figures which are already in the moderate to significant risk range.
The Mount Sugarloaf State Conservation Area has crumbled cliffs, destroyed waterways, a massive chasm 120m x 17m, a total hillside collapse, another depression where trees had died and has impacted on the escarpment 160m above the mine.
The Mandalong South Extension Project is a deep coal seam at 480m and is relying on the massive conglomerate and sandstone overburdens remaining intact. There is no guarantee that this is what will happen. If the subsidence exceeds expectations, and there are too many instances of this being recorded in our very recent history, especially with longwall mining, there could be a domino effect of calamitous proportions. Creeks already suffering large subsidence could be further compromised or, in fact, destroyed in the area. There would be a great deal of significant vegetation loss adversely impacting on the flora and fauna of the area including many endangered species.



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ECONOMY
The project will bring an extra 115 jobs and 35 extra contractors during longwall relocations on current predictions with no further technological advances in mining further reducing the need for humans to be employed.
This is not significant employment when we know the Centre for Full Employment and Equity has assessed there to be more than 78 000 highly skilled jobs in the Renewable Energy industry were Australia to have the political will to go down that path.
ABORIGINAL HERITAGE
According to the EIS, a number of significant Aboriginal heritage sites will be compromised. This is a totally unacceptable state of affairs and completely disrespectful to Australia's first inhabitants. No site should be touched, across such a vast area there must be other places that can be accessed that will not impinge on our Aboriginal heritage.
In conclusion, the precautionary principle should be invoked and the project rejected on environmental grounds of damaging sensitive Aboriginal heritage sites, unacceptable increase in the volume of groundwater to be discharged and the potential for dangerous levels of toxic groundwater to escape, potential for serious subsidence across the site and adverse contribution to climate change.

I wish to write in support of the above mentioned Mandalong project extension.

I have been employed by Centennial Coal - Mandalong for the past 9 years now, and this job is very important to me.

I believe, as a work place, we have been a great support to local business, and tend to personally support local businesses in the process.

I also believe we have an excellent track record with being environmentally sound, and will continue to do so well into the future.

The mandalong sth project is very important for myself and my family,this extension to the mine where I currently work will secure my future in the mining industry whilst also supporting local business's and others who supply the mine through various other business's.I believe we have a proven record since the mandalong mine has been established in the year 2004/05 of great safety standards and a willingness to communicate and work with the local residents who live within the mines area.This mine project must go ahead and I see no reason for anyone to reject this proposal,our management have worked tirelessly to comply with all that has been put in front of them and will continue to work with the local residents to ensure a positive result.

Mandalong mine is not only important to me and my family in the way of income but holds a healthy future for young apprentices and contractors wanting to advance in there working careers. Centennial encourages and sponsors school leavers to go on to Tafe to become tradespeople and responsible adults. Mandalong invite local businesses to be part of our plan by employing them from property maintenance to supplying lunches from local burger shops.
Mandalong has an experienced staff to meet the needs of environmentle changes with the expanding lease. I have no doubt it is a win, win situation for local residence and workers.

I think young people need every opportunity for work and this project will make jobs both directly and indirectly for the good of all the comunnity

My son is an employee of Mandalong Mine and several of my other relatives are employees of Centennial Coal. My son has a young family well settled in the area. The approval of the Mandalong South project will allow him and his family to stay in the area long term and me to remain close to my grandchildren.
My own home is within Centennial's Myuna Mine lease and I have never had any issues with Centennial

I think the community should progress as much as possible

My son is an employee of Mandalong Mine and several of my other relatives are employees of Centennial Coal. My son has a young family well settled in the area. The approval of the Mandalong South project will allow him and his family to stay in the area long term and me to remain close to my grandchildren.
My own home is within Centennial's Myuna Mine lease and I have never had any issues with Centennial

We have a young family & would like my partner to have work for the future.

future employment and power sources