Dendrobium Mine Extension Project

I believe that this extension is a poor investment, and will likely cause significant damage to the water catchment. This mine extension is projected to cause 2-2.45m of subsidence, and the workings of the mine are projected to cause significant water loss to the catchment, which, in conjunction with a drought similar to the 2017-2019 drought of NSW, could cause severe water shortages across the catchment's servicing area. Additionally, the extension will impact water quality, and since the catchment regularly services up to 30% of the water of Greater Sydney, impacting the water quality of potentially millions. The utility of coal gained from the extension is questionable, as BlueScope Steel, to whom most of the coal would go for coking, plan to buy and transport coal from other mines, and are currently investing in modern coal-less or low-coal steel production methods, such as electric-arc steelmaking, or methods using hydrogen.
The approval of this proposed extension would provide little utility, and likely negatively impact the entire population that relies on the catchment for drinking water.

I am writing to express my objection to the proposed expansion of Dendrobium Mine in Sydney and Wollongong’s water catchment. I am concerned about damage to Sydney and Wollongong’s drinking water catchment, water quality, Damage to Aboriginal Cultural Heritage, impact on koalas and their habitat, impact on Aquatic ecosystems, impact on Upland Swamps, bushfire risk, impact on sustainable jobs and impact of coal wash, mine outflow and brine dumping on creeks, waterways, harbours and oceans.

This is a publicly owned water catchment. The proposed mining is in the protected Special Areas of the water catchment upon which 5 million people rely for drinking water. There should be no mining in the Special Areas of Greater Sydney Water Catchment; this is the stated position of WaterNSW and the legislated purpose of Special Area protection. I also note that it has already been rejected by the Independent Planning Commission and NSW Water. Also I was one of over 10,700 residents of Southern Sydney and the Greater Sydney that signed a petition against longwall coal mining under Woronora Dam in 2020. An additional 25 environmental conservation organisations and local community groups signed another statement calling for the permits to be rescinded.

The rationale for declaring the expansion of Dendrobium Mine in Sydney and Wollongong’s water catchment as State Significant Infrastructure is also flawed. Bluescope Steel had already made provision for purchasing and transporting coal from other mines, and has also secured considerable Federal and NSW Government funds to investigate transition to low- or zero-carbon steel production. Also sustainable industries such as renewable hydrogen production, renewable energy, recycling of rare earths from e-waste, conventional recycling, and low or zero carbon steel production will also support thousands of jobs, with considerable research indicating that sustainable industries will actually deliver more jobs directly and indirectly, when compared to the fossil fuel industry.

1. Bluscope have confirmed that expansion of the Dendrobium mine is not essential for their operations,so it should not have State Significant Infrastructure status
2. Five million people depend on this water catchment for drinking water - a fundamental necessity for life. We already know that expanding the mine will damage the catchment - because current mining already has caused damage. Allowing mining operations under our catchment constitutes an existential threat to the security of five million Australians. If another country did something similar, we’d be declaring war. We’re in a situation where our own government is proposing to allow a private company to damage and contaminate the water supply that five million people depend on. It’s absolutely unacceptable.
3. As climate change makes rainfall more unreliable and as local populations increase, the security of our water supply becomes more important, not less. If the government allows a private company to damage our water supply for profit, and tries to make up for it by building electricity-dependent desalination plants, the government is choosing to make our communities less resilient and more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, natural disasters and electricity price hikes.
4. I studied environmental chemistry and environmental economics at postgraduate level and wrote my Masters dissertation on soil contamination. In short, it’s easy to degrade and contaminate ecosystems - but expensive and often impossible to repair them. If the full social costs of this damage is taken into account, it’s simply never going to be worth the risk of going ahead with this mine expansion.
5. The proposed extension poses an unacceptable risk to Aboriginal heritage as well as threatened native species and ecosystems. It should be obvious to anyone who’s paying attention, that Aboriginal people and their allies have had enough of the mindless destruction of their heritage. Again, if another country threatened our cultural or ecological heritage, we wouldn’t accept it.
6. Recently published research shows that fugitive methane emissions from mines in this area are significantly higher than previously stated. Therefore the climate change impact of the proposal is similarly significantly higher than stated. The recent findings alone should be enough to halt the proposal so that calculations can be updated and a more accurate value for the climate change impact of the proposal calculated.
7. Anyone who understands anything about ecosystem services will understand that the catchment is worth far more than the coal underneath it. Even if the mining profits flowed directly to the people of NSW, it still wouldn’t come close to balancing the loss of value of ecosystem services.
8. Expanding the mine is 18th century thinking. As we know, the Federal LNP lost government because of their failure to understand that most Australians have moved on from 18th century thinking. The State government needs to catch up. We know that steel can be produced using 21st technology that does not rely on coal, and rather than propping up an 18th century industry, we want to see 21st technologies supported and rolled out.

I support Dendrobium Mine extension project as South32 produce Metallurgical Coal which is for Steel. This project will help local community.

Very important to the local community

Dear Sirs,
The expansion of the DENDROBIUM longwall coal mine has been a controversial project for a long time. This is not only because it means more coal mining.

This mine will also damage local biodiversity and threatened ecological communities, including koalas and as many as 18 other endangered species. It will cause irreversible damage to 58 identified Aboriginal cultural artefacts.

The mine is in Sydney’s water catchment. Hardly surprisingly The Independent Planning Commission initially refused permission for the extension because it would damage millions of people's drinking water: longwall mining creates cracks in reservoirs, increasing the introduction of heavy metals into the water supply.

Communities in Wollongong, Wollondilly and the Southern Highlands are raising our voices together against the mine.

It is just absurd that this plan should go ahead. It has already been rejected once, but political pressure by mining interests has resulted in the new application being declared State Significant Infrastructure, meaning it will bypass the IPC's scrutiny, and Planning Minister Anthony Roberts will solely responsible for the final decision. This is the first time ever this has ever happened for a coal mine application in NSW and cannot be allowed.

Before any decision is made, the Minister must seek advice from the Independent Planning Commission and other recognised experts, as well as seeking an updated, ecologically accurate Environmental Impact Statement. At the very least, local koala populations and endangered species should be independently surveyed. The government cannot be allowed to cover up the overwhelming evidence that this plan will cause damage.

Mining profits should never matter more than the future of our water, our biodiversity and our climate.

Yours sincerley,
Kim Zegenhagen.

I strongly reject the opening of ANY further coal mining in NSW and I have particular objections to the extension of this particular coal mine, based on the ecological destruction it would cause. Election wise, I believe that, should the Planning Minister exercise his power to approve this expansion it would be a very unwise move. It would be strongly suggestive of political corruption even if there were no corruption in existence.

I consider that the process of converting the Dendrobrium mine to a State Significant site is unjustified and undermines the standing of the Independent Planning Commission, supposedly the final arbiter on the future of this extension project. The IPC did not approve it after extensive public hearings and submissions.

The claim that Dendrobrium is state significant because it supplies coal to the Port Kembla steelworks is fallacious, as many submissions pointed out that the steelworks uses coal from different sources, including South32's mine at Appin.

Others gave exhaustive and persuasive evidence of its effects on water quality and water security. In particular we must value the upland swamps, which are so important to the catchment system, and which this project would continue to damage. It is absurd that we should even consider mining under the water catchment of a major city and its surrounds, let alone extending such a project when the risks are so well documented.

It is widely recognised that coal is of diminishing value in a world committed to reducing emissions. The project risks becoming a stranded asset. South32 already has permission to mine at that site for many more years.

Port Kembla and the steelworks have a bright future producing green steel and renewable energy. All this requires is a visionary government with a plan to retrain redundant coal and steel workers, and prepared to assist financially, rather than continuing to subsidise fossil fuel companies.

I can see no reason to approve this project and many reasons to object to it. I urge the department to discount any improper influence of coal companies in resurrecting it under the 'state significant' guise, and uphold the IPC's well-considered judgement.

The expansion would be a great opportunity for the mainly local workforce to continue to support their families and the local economy as they have been for many years.
Where the expansion has been revised to now operate under is a great improvement which should be welcomed by the community.

With the IPCC and many countries of the world trying to lower carbon emissions, I find it hypocritical of the NSW Government to speak in favour of lowering our state's emissions and give permission for an extension of an existing coal mine. As a developed country, we should be showing leadership by NOT continuing with coal mining. When coal is burnt, it is one of the largest contributors to global warming through its carbon emissions. Expecting countries like India and China to take action, when their standard of living is overall much lower than Australia's, is hypocrisy. We should phase out coal as soon as possible for the sake of future generations.

This is an incredibly damaging proposal to extend longwall mining underneath the water catchment of the Illawarra for another 20 years. This is a spectacularly damaging project and should not be allowed to proceed. It does not create substantial jobs. Very few are created.The government has once again been captured by big business at the cost of enormous environment damage. When will they ever learn?

I wish to make a submission regarding the Dendrobium Mine Extension Project. Already in February 2021, the NSW Independent Planning Commission refused an earlier and larger version of this coal mine expansion, “finding that the proposed mine design risks long-term and irreversible damage to Greater Sydney and the Illawarra’s drinking water catchment.”
South32 has submitted a smaller, revised plan which would still do considerable damage to the catchment. I am calling on Mr Roberts, the Planning Minister, to ask for a review of the mine’s environmental impacts by the Independent Planning Commission (IPC).
I consider that the Project would result in:
o losses to Sydney and the Illawarra’s drinking water catchment
o a tripling of direct GHG emissions (Scope 1)
o potentially 'irreversible' damage to 16 endangered swamps
o a continuation of longwall mining, which is much more damaging to drinking water and endangered swamps than non-caving ‘bord and pillar’ mining
o South32's own assessment shows there would be more jobs in bord and pillar mining.
• Further damage to the drinking water catchment has been justified by claims that this Project is important to Port Kembla steelworks. However, South32 has conceded that “BlueScope may be able to source alternate supplies of metallurgical coal locally”.
• Based on the average Scope 1 emissions (assuming flaring) of 789,551 tonnes CO2-e per annum, the Dendrobium Extension could become the 4th highest emitting coal mine in NSW.
• Pressure on Bluescope to transition to low carbon steel raises questions about future demand for Dendrobium’s coal for steel making at Port Kembla:
o BlueScope are currently investigating the use of sustainably sourced biochar and coke oven gas (which contains 60% hydrogen) as replacements for pulverised coal
o Bluescope has signed an MoU with Rio Tinto to explore using renewable hydrogen to replace coking coal to directly reduce iron ore.
o The newly elected Labor government’s ‘Powering Australia Plan’ states that “[e]normous opportunities exist to develop green steel manufacturing hubs across Australia using abundant and low cost renewable energy resources, and green hydrogen.” The Plan refers to Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology as an opportunity to transition from traditional blast furnaces (like the one currently in use at Port Kembla).
I am asking that independence is restored to the assessment process for Dendrobium and that the NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts requests an independent review of key documents by the NSW IPC. I also ask that the NSW Minister for Planning Anthony Roberts exercises his power under S. 2.9 (1) (c) of the EP&A Act to task the NSW IPC with reviewing independent reports being commissioned by NSW DPE (including security of coal supply for Bluescope).

I object to this proposal for the main reason that it has been accepted by the mining company that their mine expansion will crack the stone in the water catchment above it and will lead to massive water losses. Their proposal to offset the water loss with cash is not acceptable. They are asking for the people of NSW to sacrifice clean drinking water, which we cannot live without and saying they will reimburse this loss with money. Last time I checked, I couldn't drink money. Why do we, the tax payers of NSW have to make such a massive sacrifice for a privately (?) run mine that will have only negative impacts. It is asking too much. It is also unacceptable on the grounds of the potential and probable destruction of aboriginal art and tool sites. Not to mention the unacceptable loss of koala habitat.

Something is seriously wrong when the NSW State Government puts an independent body in charge of making decisions, however, doesn’t have to agree with them and are able to ignore their decisions.

This mine expansion proposal is unacceptable and it needs to be stopped before it's too late.

👍🏻

Dendrobium supports the local community , works with locals to enhance the local surrounds.
Dendrobium contributes to several sporting bodies promoting participation in sport . South 32 is an inclusive employer that seeks to employ women and apprentices and all levels of positions . The company also utilises local contractors adding to employment opportunities Promotes the creation of jobs in the area and boosts the local economy . Mt Kembla is a mining village and is why it exists.

The project provides many jobs for the local area and should remain doing so.

As an employee of South32 IMC, I fully support the project and hope we can secure the ongoing employment of 650 of my colleagues. Illawarra Metallurgical Coal has a proud history in the region and we have many people within our business who have worked with us for 40+ years, which is incredible. In this time a lot has changed, like how we mine coal and how we protect our people, but what hasn't changed is the contribution we make to the Illawarra Region - through direct employment, spend with local businesses (>$240 mill pa), community investment, royalties etc. This project will also create construction jobs and new operational roles within our business.

This project is so important for the Australian steel industry, and the team has worked hard to address the concerns raised in the original submission - largely around environmental impact (surface water loss) and impact to Aboriginal significant sites. Through the revised mine plan, we have significantly reduced these impacts.

I oppose this extension for the following reasons:

Noise: I am one of Dendrobiums closest neighbours. They regularly exceed their noise limits. Their own records demonstrate consecutive months of non-compliance. They frequently change noise testing contractors in an attempt to achieve their desired results. The noise coming from their 24/7 operation is excessive, relentless and detrimental to both human and faunas health. Any noise limits in an approved proposal need to be drastically reduced. The “construction noise” guidelines for the planned 2 year construction phase are grossly excessive considering this mine is in a residential suburb.

Traffic: the predicted traffic increases are unsafe and unsustainable. In order to reach this mine vehicles need to navigate a 2 lane road that winds steeply through a residential suburb. This road does not have the capacity to absorb extra traffic. The road rules and the traffic management plan are routinely ignored.

Proposed carpark in the Illawarra escarpment: This new 120 space carpark in the Illawarra escarpment, that is included in the extension, is a ridiculous idea. It represents the complete disregard this company holds the community that hosts them in. South 32 has 2 nearby sites in industrial areas, a short 10 minute drive away. They need to bus their staff to their mine, thereby reducing the number of vehicles in our community and not destroying habitat for carparks.

Particulate pollution: Particulate pollution monitoring is currently manifestly inadequate, with only a tiny number of residences having monitoring, and none of these are the privately owned residences closest to the mine. Many homes such as my own is heavily affected by “dust” pollution from the mine, with the mine taking no responsibility for cleaning up the mess it makes. If this project is approved I ask that all the closest properties to the mine are identified in the consent as requiring regular dust monitoring and a requirement for the company to regularly clean surrounding homes be included.

Damage to Sydney and Wollongong’s drinking water catchment: Mining induced subsidence will damage the watercourses and swamps that feed our drinking water reservoirs.

The expansion is not consistent with current land use of the area as a water catchment: The impact of this mine expansion will not be neutral or positive, it will leave the water catchment worse off in terms of both quantity and quality of water. Offsets in the form of the payment of money cannot replace a drinking water catchment. No matter how much water is recycled, or how many desalination plants we build before the next drought, our drinking water catchment is essential infrastructure, and should be prioritised over a privately-owned coal mine.

Damage to Aboriginal Cultural Heritage: South 32 provide no evidence or explanation as to why the profits of a private company should be prioritised over the cultural heritage of Aboriginal people. Monitoring of Indigenous cultural sites is required but there is no requirement to preserve or avoid these sites, and no penalties to South32 when it destroys them. It is reprehensible for mining interests to desecrate Aboriginal Cultural Heritage whilst the area remains out-of-bounds for the Aboriginal community.

Impact on koalas and their habitat: Koalas have recently been declared Endangered in NSW. The Environmental Impact Statement notes that there are koalas living in the area that will be undermined, but includes no current survey of koala numbers or locations. There is no management plan for koalas who may be living in the ecosystems that would be cleared for infrastructure, other than offsetting that includes a bio-banking scheme that has not yet been negotiated, and payment to a government trust. It is hard to see how these future arrangements will prevent a devastating impact on actual, living koalas who may be present in land to be cleared for infrastructure.

Impact on Upland Swamps: Dewatering the upland swamps will result in local extinctions in breach of multiple layers of State and Federal legislative protection.
Climate impacts: In total, the Dendrobium Extension Project would result in ~88 million tonnes CO2-e of GHGs. It is irresponsible and unacceptable to allow this.

It’s time we stopped destroying our country and our children’s future just to line the pockets of corrupt politicians and the rich. Let’s do the right thing here.

I support the project based on the need for metallurgical coal in the steel making process.

Steel will be required to support the transition to renewable energy, supply of construction materials and making of general household items.

There is not currently an alternative to coking coal in the steelmaking process

The project will produce metallurgical coal, this is a critical ingredient to make steel - there is no substitute.
There will be an increase in jobs, and current roles will be secured, this in turn will have a knock on effect to local businesses with increased trade.