I support this project

Having lived in the Hunter Valley my entire life, I realize how important mining is to the community as a whole and am proud to support this project. Beyond its role in continuing to supply the resources that underpin modern life, this project would deliver lasting benefits close to home. It would create new local jobs and continue to support the ongoing employments for many families in our region. Local businesses will benefit through supply contracts and service partnerships, keeping more investment flowing into our region. The state and federal government benefit through ongoing royalties to invest into more public infrastructure and assets, such as schools and hospitals. Importantly, the project also includes ongoing commitments to community development and infrastructure improvements, which will leave a positive legacy well beyond the life of the mine. This is more than just a mining project – it is an opportunity to strengthen our economy, support local families, and invest in the future prosperity of our community.

For the miners and families

I am writing to express my opposition to Glencore and Yancoal’s Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) revised coal expansion plan. The revised plan is only slightly different from the original plan that HVO submitted. It will still be a massive expansion and the greenhouse gas emissions especially methane, which is many times more dangerous than CO2, produced by the extraction process will be enormous, making it more difficult for Australia to reach its 2030 and 2035 emissions reduction targets.

HVO has failed to implement the NSW Court of Appeal decision on the Mt Pleasant coal mine in its revised plan. This decision found that the full contribution of Scope 3 emissions to climate change from a coal mine must be assessed when a new or expanded mine is proposed. It also found that the full environmental, social and economic impacts of climate change on a locality must be considered in making a decision on a project.

However the HVO revised plan specifically excludes consideration of Scope 3 emissions in its economic assessment, and as a result it drastically underestimates the negative impacts of the project.

Overall, this coal mine expansion would add 803 million tonnes of lifecycle greenhouse gas pollution to the atmosphere between now and 2045. That equates to 7 times the total annual emissions from all sources in New South Wales.

The NSW Large Emitters Guide states that coal mines should be on the same emissions reduction trajectory as NSW - to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030 and 70% by 2035.

But this expansion does the direct opposite - it will result in massive increases in direct emissions by expanding the project.

I have a 22-month-old granddaughter and I’m terrified about what the world will be like for her in 2100 if we don’t start reducing our emissions today. But HVO’s revised plan will lead not to a reduction but to a substantial increase in emissions.

I strongly urge that HVO’s revised plan be withdrawn. If HVO wishes to submit a further plan, the full assessment required by the NSW Court of Appeal decision must be undertaken for the project. It should then be placed back on public exhibition.

This expansion will help bring more coal funds to the local community including donations to the rural fire service, schools and other community based groups

I Support this project because this means a roof over our families head and food on the table. This means our son has a future. I’m a daughter of a former miner of HVO, Dennis Dixon and a partner of a current miner of HVO, Garrett Carr, and I would not like to see our mines closed down.

The continuation of this mine is beneficial for the region.
The spend of the site secures work both directly and indirectly for myself and family.
If this falls over we will need to move to another region.

HVO provides hundreds of jobs and benefits the local community in numerous ways.

HVO provides many workers a wage they use to support their family’s and further many business that support the wider Hunter community. The closure of HVO would see over 1000 direct employees no longer having a means to put food on the table, many local businesses would be devastated if they lost work at HVO which would wide and varying affects of their local community. With certainty about their operational future HVO will be able to make significant investments into the local community that would benefit generations to come. Certainly HVO should be help to account and required to make investments in the community in which they operate such as road upgrades on the Golden Highway, etc.

Broadly the closure would also affect average Australians as there will be a loss in tax revenue from the royalties paid by HVO and workers who lost their job as a result of the closure may rely on support from the government further burdening the broader community.

Additionally, Australia nor other nations around the globe are in a position where they can cut their reliance on coal power. Australians struggle enough as it is with the current power prices and reducing the supply of coal and coal power will obviously not help. Furthermore, the environmental standards Australian mine sites are held to far exceed those in developing nations where the coal will come from if HVO is closed and it is in everyone’s best interest if coal is to be mined it is done in the most sustainable way possible.

I object to the revised plans for extensions to HVO North and South.