Angus Place Extension Project.

Please refer to the submission attached

See attached letter confirming support for the Angus Place Extension Project.

Please review the attached letter

Please refer to attached submission

We fully support the Angus Place extension project to continue to supply existing and future coal contracts and to continue to provide employment for up to 450 people.
There will be benefits to all the community with all associated flow on effects from this operation.
The downside from this proposed development is the run of mine coal from the mine to be handled and processed at Lidsdale at the Springvale mine for local residents.
The problems from this proposal are already noted and will have an extended detrimental effects on all residents for the proposed 25 year extension.
The current way of handling and processing the coal have noise issues for all residents near the Springvale mine and along the belt haulage road.
These noise levels exceed or are close to permitted noise limits in its current operation.
With its increased tonnage what are the mitigation controls that will be put in place to bring noise levels down. Current noise levels from coal handling are masked from the constant pit level noise, machines, motors, belts and engines.
When the coal handling is the only operation at the site, all noise will be more distinct, as happened when the nearby Wallerawang Power Station closed.
When the Wallerawang Power station closed the noise emissions and vibrations that were taken out of the local environment, a huge increase in noise activity from Springvale mine was noticed by local residents.
Noise levels will only increase for local residents and the proposed increase in tonnage this will bring extended operation and more consistent loss of quality of lifestyle.
Will noise limits be lowered to accommodate this jump in more distinct coal handling, or will there be an alternate coal handling procedure to the one already in place?

Thank you

Paul and Deborah Curran

Mining Projects
NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
Locked Bag 5022
Parramatta NSW 2124
Dear Sir/Madam,
State Significant Project – Angus Place Mine Extension (SSD 5602 - Amendment Exhibition)
I request that the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (the DoPIE) recommend
refusal of consent, as Centennial Coal has not modified the Angus Place mine extension proposal to
adequately protect nationally endangered swamps and has sought to grandfather its consent until
2053, preventing future necessary adaption of the energy sector to address the growing climate
emergency. As a result:
- I oppose the mine extension as it will fracture the sandstone strata supporting the nationally
endangered swamps.
- I request that if any consent is issued, then it must be reviewed every 5 years with a
possibility of cancellation from 2025, and proposing to grandfather the Angus Place mine
consent until 2053 ignores the growing climate catastrophe by locking in coal-fired electric
power.
- Please require Centennial Coal to revise this amended proposal to prevent damage to
spectacular Birds Rock, Wolgan River, Carne Creek, pagodas, cliffs and the nationally
endangered swamps in the 2,000 hectare Study Area.
- Centennial Coal must not be allowed to further replicate the damage it has already caused
to nationally threatened upland swamps on the Newnes Plateau.
- To ensure this significant central part of the Gardens of Stone reserve proposal, mini-
longwall mining methods should be applied instead of the intensive longwall mining
proposed.
- The excessive clearing of 50 hectares of public forest for an additional roads, ventilation and
pumping facilities must be reduced and all facilities located away from sensitive areas.
- Wolgan Falls must not run dry - the proposed longall mining panels must be shortened by
hundreds of metres along the Wolgan River side of the Study Area to prevent river water
losses due to far field impacts associated with the extensive Wolgan Lineament Field.
- Pristine Carne Creek, and its waters that flow through the Greater Blue Mountains World
Heritage Area and past the Wolgan Valley resort must not be contaminated with iron and
manganese released or suffer reduced flows due to fracturing of surface rocks.
- In the seven years since Centennial’s consultants identified the need for targeted surveys of
nationally endangered plants, the company failed to undertake these searches. Lithgow Environment Group has in that time identified many sites within the proposal where these
Federally listed plants occur, highlighting the weakness of the company’s environmental
assessment.
- Due to the extent of mining impacts and duration of approval being sought, the amended
Angus Place mine extension proposal must be subject to an Independent Planning
Commission hearing, review and determination process.
I have not made political donations or gifts totalling $1,000 or more in the last two years.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Yours sincerely, Michelle Genders

I strongly object to this ridiculous idea to further endanger our environment, produce and export fossil fuels and exponentially increase climate change

I strongly object to the current proposal and revised plans for the Angus Place mine. This plan covers such a huge area, and , most extraordinarily, is seeking consent until 2053.
It is clear that there are major environmental risks to flora, fauna, geological formations and water supply. Further more and more people are saying no to more coal and thinking of alternatives. The major bushfires of last summer have caused many people to stop and think and ask us all to protect our planet and not tie ourselves to fossil fuels. We need sustainable energy sources.
Certainly the need for jobs in this area is great. But this is such a glorious exquisite part of Australia and there is huge potential for jobs in tourism And there is huge potential for jobs in sustainable energy development and provision.
Please, please don't exploit and use up Australia's precious beauty and resources for such short term gain for a few people.
Thank you for your consideration.

This is an important project that will ensure there is a long term employment future for the local and surrounding areas of the greater Lithgow area.

I support the project, it creates Employment and secures NSW energy supply,which green power alone cannot
If it doesn’t go ahead I will potentially have to move from the area for work ,I’m a husband and father of 5.

Please see the attached document for my comments

I request that the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment recommend refusal of consent to this proposal for the following reasons-

The mine extension mayl fracture sandstone structures and this will impact on nationally endangered swamps.

I further request that if consent is issued, then it must be reviewed every 5 years .

If the mine is approved, I request that mining methods that would cause the least impact to the sensitive areas be used.

I have not made political donations or gifts totalling $1000 or more in the last two years.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

Kind regards,

1: Unaccounted indirect emissions : As a State significant project with significant green house gas emissions over the lifetime of the project approval would be inconsistent with Australia's international commitments under the Paris Agreement. Additionally there is international community recognition that under the Paris Agreement developed countries are to take the lead in climate change with some countries being more responsible for historical emissions and have a greater capacity to reduce future emissions. (B Preston SC Land & Environment Lawhttp://www.lec.justice.nsw.gov.au) . In order for Australia to be a responsible global citizen we need to account for the indirect / downstream emissions resulting from the continued mining of coal . By continuing to approve such projects we are contributing to the global climate emergency which is exposing this nation of Australia,and the world to extreme climate changes.
Furthermore New South Wales, has adopted the Climate Change Policy Framework, which provides “[t]he NSW Government endorses the Paris Agreement and will take action that is consistent with the level of effort to achieve Australia’sAgreement and will take action that is consistent with the level of effort to achieve Australia’s commitments to the Paris Agreement.”101 Policy incorporation can have legal consequences. ( B Preston) Surely approval would be inconsistent with NSW Governments own policy.

2. Additional comments - How does Lithgow and the surrounding communities fit into the Governments plans regarding sustainable regional centres , how will the government support the town to manage water, fire and the local economy - where is the masterplan? It appears the local community relies heavily on coal to provide employment and social infrastructure - this appears to be a convenient relinquishing of Government responsibility. Surely now after so many Australians have experienced catastrophic fires regional towns need to to be on the front foot and be well equiped to manage the changing climate, their resources,develop their capacity as a self sufficient towns, preserve and restore their natural environments. Australian regional towns can be leaders in fire, water , and land and environment management - please make some serious investments in the people and their communities this is what will sustain them - not coal.

I object to Centennial Coal's proposal to extend its Angus Place mine for environmental, social and economic reasons:
- it will supply coal to the Mt Piper coal-fired power station, adding 8.5% to NSW's GHG emissions. Mt Piper station should be closed by 2030 if NSW is to meet its GHG emissions reduction obligations. You'd be aware that the national Clean Energy Regulator data show that for 2018-19, electricity generation remains the highest emitting industry in NSW.
- Centennial Coal is seeking extension of the mine to 2053, blatantly dismissing NSW's commitment to be carbon-free by 2050. Climate change is a mammoth threat to the planet, especially to NSW as the recent bushfire season so brutally showed. Industry and their investors must be compelled to redirect their resources and ambitions to climate safe projects. The state's responsibilities to the planet and especially to our young and future generations demand this.
- the project will undermine 5 environmentally precious ground-water dependent swamps and the catchment of hanging swanps. Damaging subsidence is inevitable. These swamps are critically endangered. They are irreplacable (i.e. cannot be offset). In times of fire, they are invaluable as wildlife refuges and natural fire breaks.
- other high risks of this proposal include damage to waterways, e.g. Carne Creek and Wolgan Falls. The company has also failed to identify and commit to protecting the four nationally endangered plants known to occur in the development site.
-Centennial Coal has a lamentable record of environmental damage (e.g damage to Newnes Plateau swamps), and lack of transparency.
- many (I suspect most) people in Blue Mts' communities treasure their natural environment and recognise that a protected clean environment would go a long way to securing their economic futures. Coal production is a serious threat to the natural assets of the area loved by locals and visitors alike.
- jobs created by this proposal will be relatively few and dangerous to worker health. With the necessary political will, NSW could be 100% renewable by 2050. This would mean many more clean secure jobs than the coal industry can provide.
I urge the DoPIE to deny approval for this proposal.

In a mad defiance of all the evidence of negative effects of coal mining, Centennial Coal placed on public exhibition a revised plan for the Angus Place mine located along Wolgan Road on the way to Newnes. This plan covers an enormous area of 10,551ha and Centennial Coal is seeking a consent to mine coal until 2053.

The Colong Foundation for Wilderness has outlined some impacts this plan will have:
• Five endangered swamps and the wonderful fields of boronia and other wildflowers in those swamps will be destroyed – (TriStar, Twin Gully, Birds Rock, Crocodile and Trail 6 will be hydraulically impacted by the mine);
• Key populations of nationally listed animals - the blue mountains water skink and the giant dragonfly – will also be lost due to the swamp damage;
• Water flows in the Wolgan River that pass through the World Heritage Area and over Wolgan Fall will be diminished, and Carne Creek will also lose its pristine flows – (Carne Creek is a key feature of the One and Only Wolgan Resort, eroding its green cachet);
• The “protected” Birds Rock Flora Reserve shall be undermined, and this spectacular rock formation shall be fractured;
• Cliffs will collapse and pagoda rock formations cracked in the mining area; and
• Grandfathering the Angus Place mine is a transparent attempt to block social adaptation to climate change by locking in coal consumption.

Great continuing opportunities for the community.
It would be detrimental to the local economy if the plans weren't to be approved into the future.

In the interest of security of the states electricity supply, I believe this project should be approved

I fully support the development proposal for Angus Place.
Both my husband and I work in the mining industry in the area and have seen the devastation of companies closing in small communities in the central west, we would not like to see the same happen to other areas
Over the years Centennial Coal has been extremely supportive to their local community. They provide financial support to many local associations, all sporting bodies and provides income directly to over 300 families, and indirectly to tens of thousands of people in the local area. Underground mining has minimal impact on the environment.

I am thoroughly in support of the Angus Place extension project.
This project will not only create many much needed jobs and income for local families and businesses directly involved, many more families and businesses will benefit from the knock on affect that this "essential service" will not only provide the local community - but the state.

Angus Place is a vital asset to the community as a whole not just the company.
It will provide income for hundreds of families directly and indirectly moving into the future.
In an age where climate change and the general environment is a topic of much focus internationally, Centennial will operate to a very high standard providing an essential commodity to the community which is essential to NSW for us to prosper in an already troubled economy.
In terms of climate change, we have no practical alternative which assists us now or in the short term future. The underground mining operation has a minimal impact on the surrounding landscape and is the most efficient way of providing this essential commodity.
I look forward to seeing this project commence and hope it provides security for the men and women who so heavily rely on it.