HVO North Open Cut Coal Continuation Project

I am making this submission in support of the proposed continuation of mining operations at HVO North and HVO South.
Since commencing operations many decades ago, the Hunter Valley Operations mine has made an enormous socio-economic contribution to the local, regional, state and national economies. It is important that the continuation project be approved so that HVO may continue to provide direct employment for up to 1,500 workers, as well as generating very substantial flow-on economic activity that will benefit the surrounding local government areas, the Hunter Region more generally, as well as NSW and Australia.
This proposal comes at a time of continued strong demand for coal. Although an energy transition is underway in Australia and globally, the International Energy Agency forecasts that coal will play an important role in the global energy mix for decades.
As other mining operations in the Hunter Valley come to the end of their economic lives, and as opportunities for new Hunter Valley industries gradually materialise, it is critical that well-established mining operations such as HVO continue to provide the employment and economic activity to support the local and regional economies as they seek to diversify and develop those new industries. The continuation of mining at HVO North to 2050 and at HVO South to 2045 will perform an important role in supporting this energy transition diversification whilst providing stability in employment and mining-related economic activity.
The HVO Continuation Project represents an efficient use of existing infrastructure, as it will be able to utilise the existing mining areas, the existing surface infrastructure, the existing washplants and the existing rail loop and associated transportation corridor to the Port of Newcastle. Being a brownfield life-extension project, the HVO Continuation Project requires far less ground disturbance than a comparatively-sized greenfield mining operation. It is also situated in a location where coal mining has occurred for many decades and where the community is well-versed in both the positive contribution that it makes to the local area and the way in which mining-related impacts can be suitably managed.
As far as coal mining continuation projects are concerned, the HVO Continuation Project presents a compelling case for approval as the benefits that will be delivered by this project will far outweigh the adverse impacts of the project, and the impacts are capable of being managed satisfactorily (as has been demonstrated by the existing operations at the mine over many years).

I support the continuation of the HVO Open Cut Coal Continuation Project. This Project provides a tremendous amount of support to the community, both in terms of local jobs but also supporting community events. I would like to see this support continue.

The project financially supports not only my family members, but the Hunter region as a whole. HVO mines efficiently and responsible with neighbouring communities in mind.

I am a fulltime employee of HVO & reasons why I am supporting this decision include:
- HVO provides significant employment opportunities to the greater Hunter Valley & NSW districts,
- NSW needs this approval & creating 1500 direct employment opportunities plus the flow on from effect from the support services to the mining industry, this then provides taxes & mining royalties that benefit every single person within the state of NSW,
- This submission is in principle an extension of the existing lease, with no significant change to the production rates,
- Current day coal miners are responsible & have an obligation to the environment
Iam in full support of this submission & hope this is approved

Letter of support attached.

On behalf of our 200 Muswellbrook Business Members, the Muswellbrook Chamber of Commerce supports the proposal to continue operations at HVO North OC. Our support is based on the employment and economic benefits that flow to Muswellbrook residents and businesses.
Since the 1970's HVO has made substantial contributions to the Upper Hunter economy and is part of our economic landscape.
The removal of these benefits before 2050 could have profound impacts on local employment and local suppliers of materials and services to the site. A recent report prepared by The Institute of Public Affairs states that, in the transition to net zero emissions, 9,327 jobs or 26% of all jobs in the Upper Hunter are at risk.
Muswellbrook Chamber has welcomed support from HVO with contributions from Glencore towards local events, educational programs and promotions. The benefits of these programs flow to businesses in the tourism, hospitality, retail sectors and the wider community.
In the transition to the low carbon future, there are no current alternative projects that could match the economic inputs of HVO
and the coal mining industry in the Upper Hunter. The continuation of operations like HVO are necessary to sustain the local economy and fund the transition to low carbon renewables and alternative industries. At this stage there is little evidence of alternative labour-intensive export industries to replace the economic value of coal in the next two(2) or three(3) decades.
We thank the Department for the opportunity to comment and look forward to a favourable determination.
Yours sincerely,
Mike Kelly
President MCCI

This project provides jobs and support for many people in the whole hunter valley

I support the project for the continuation

I object to the Hunter Valley Operations Open Cut Coal Continuation Project (North and South) (“the Project”) because the:

1. Economic analysis is inadequate and does not consider the impact on the Equine Critical Industry Cluster. The economic analysis does not reflect the true costs of the Project as it underestimates or ignores the environmental and other industry impacts/costs and over estimates the benefits;
2. Project will result in air quality impacts and exceedances exacerbating already unacceptably dusty and polluted conditions in the Upper Hunter;
3. Project will result in unacceptable noise impacts on neighbouring studs, negatively impacting the studs’ operations and the people and their families who reside on those studs;
4. Project will impose health impacts for humans and horses which have not been properly assessed;
5. Water impacts of the Project are unacceptable to us as a community and an industry.
6. Project presents deficient surface and groundwater assessments, imposes additional risks and stresses on the already vulnerable Hunter River and its tributaries; breaches of the Aquifer Interference Policy; and will leave as its legacy a final void that will be hyper-saline, take 1000 years to reach equilibrium and impose an unacceptable perpetual impost on future generations;
7. Project will bring the visual impacts of mining (dust, noise and blasting) closer to the town of Jerrys Plains, and closer to the operations of Coolmore, one of the central players in our industry.
8. Project will bring the visual impacts of mining much closer to residents, towns and roads at the southern Gateway of the Hunter’s Thoroughbred Breeding Industry at Jerrys Plains.
9. Cumulative impact assessments –for air quality and water sources in the Hunter – are absent from this EIS contrary to the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) and NSW Guidelines;
10. Impacts on investment and economic diversity in the region will be deleterious;
11. The impacts on the Hunter’s Equine Critical Industry Cluster have not been assessed; and
12. Project, a significant expansion to open cut coal mining in close proximity to an international scale stud operator and one of the central players critical to the functioning of the Equine CIC, is an incompatible land use which cannot coexist in close proximity.
13. Project represents unacceptable social, economic and environmental risks that are contrary to Government net zero and land use policies.
14. Project does not abide by the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development, particularly intra and inter-generational equity.
15. Project is not in the public interest and should be rejected.

Integrated Reliability Solitons provides mining maintenance and reliability services to HVO through onsite labour hire and material purchases.

This continuation project will provide reassurance in our market (which can generally be hot and cold) that will allow us to plan and hopefully grow internally and therefore support HVO further if demand requires or expand to take on new clients.

Integrated Reliability Solutions (IRS) supports HVO in its projects and endeavours, this project will not only benefit IRS but the local and wider community through continued and growing employment, local manufacture and materials procurement.

We look forward to continued working with and support to HVO

Regards

Matthew Pullin
Engineering and Commercial Manager
Integrated Reliability Solutions

attached submission for objection

I run a small business that has been supported by the coal mining industry for nearly 25 years. I wish to continue my business in the coal mining industry and the mine expansion will assist in that regard. Hunter Valley Operations being a current client of mine.

Please see the attached letter for our reasons for supporting this project.

Please find attached DAMS HEG Inc"s objection to the HVO North Open Cut Coal Continuation. We urge everyone to think about their possible role in protecting our Earth for the sake of the generations to come.

The most polluting project in NSW since the Paris Agreement, in the only sector that the NSW Government itself predicts will increase this decade, the application to continue, extend and extract additional coal by Hunter Valley Operations involves unacceptable levels of greenhouse gas emissions, and cultural heritage and species diversity implications from a company that has been shown to be not fit and proper to hold a mining lease in NSW, given the central involvement of Glencore.

Specifically, the proposal for consideration involves 1) an unacceptable increase of greenhouse gas emissions; 2) a further degrading of air quality, especially through PM 2.5 emissions; 3) impacts on cultural heritage, some already documented by NSW IPC; 4) negative biodiversity outcomes through native vegetation land clearing, with implications not just for catastrophic species loss in this country but also devastating implications for climate change. In addition there are significant reasons to be concerned about the huge voids that will fill slowly with water predicted to take hundreds if not thousands of years to recover equilibrium.

Last but not least we must surely look at the track record of such companies as want to apply for an expansion in the current situation for the planet, when considering any such proposal. Glencore has been shown in the courts of Britain and the US to be guilty of systematic bribery, and as if that were not sufficient cause for alarm, in Australia it is currently being investigated for "misleading and deceptive behaviour" involving greenwashing.

That we are in a situation of environmental catastrophe is a fact that has now been irrefutably established by science, without controversy. Approving any expansions with such clearcut causes for concern must involve a cynical disregard of the future of our planet and of human rights in the eyes of Australians, who are increasingly demanding accountability of their representatives, regard for science especially where it concerns our environment, and respect for honesty about history and human rights. This project does not pass the pub test for increasing numbers of them and, vitally, represents a critical test of leadership in the most important area faced by our planet, ever.

This impacts of this project are too great.
More detailed information in attached submission

This mine is a huge employer of people both directly and indirectly

Object because of 1} significant long term adverse local environmental effects of extraction of coal-air pollution causing community health harms and ecological destruction which will be permanent,despite attempted,eventual, rehabilitation in the distant future.
2) significant long term adverse effects-in view of the size and anticipated long-term existence of the project-on world- wide human and environmental health resulting from use of the exported coal.
I believe these serious anticipated effects should be realistically anticipated and not dismissed ,given our present scientific knowledge and observations.

I support the project

I support the HVO Continuation Project. The continuation of mining brings many benefits to local people, businesses, charities and the community, including:
- Around 1500 ongoing jobs and 600 temporary jobs,
- Continued support for local businesses and suppliers,
- Continued charity and community support,
- Continued Government royalties and taxes,
- Safer, time saving, road and new bridge that is less flood prone with the realignment of Lemington Road,
- Improved final rehabilitation with a reduction in the number of final voids, and
- Improved water management.