Maxwell Underground Coal Mine Project

Friends of the Upper Hunter Inc is a group of farmers, business people, parents and grandparents committed to a sustainable and prosperous future for the Upper Hunter. We are pro balance, pro business and pro community.
Based on our extensive consultation with our members and with the broader community throughout the course of this year we do not believe that the Upper Hunter (including the Singleton, Muswellbrook or Upper Hunter LGAs) has the capacity to safely support additional coal mines without seriously impacting the health, wellbeing and prosperity of local residents and future generations.
We have serious concerns regarding the environmental and social impacts of the Maxwell proposal – formerly known as Drayton South - many of which have been exhaustively articulated over a period of years and several hearings of the Independent Planning Commission. We are concerned that the community is expected to yet again waste its time and money in prosecuting these same arguments.
Despite our activity in the local community, Friends of the Upper Hunter was not consulted by the proponent and has not had the opportunity to provide input regarding the impacts of this proposal.
Our concerns include the impact on our overburdened airshed, the serious and detrimental impact on regional water quality, the impact on our region's economic diversity, the concerning and unmeasured impacts on the health of local residents, the limited consultation undertaken by the mining company, the contribution to climate change, the likely increase in DIDO workers, the impact to the social fabric of our communities and our quality of life, the overstated economic benefits of the project, the misleading language used throughout these very lengthy planning documents (no blasting??), concerns regarding rehabilitation, the potential impacts on existing sustainable industries and the impact on the availability of infrastructure, services and workers for local people and businesses.
Our office bearers are available to discuss our objection and to explore these specific issues further with the Department.
We appreciate the Department's serious consideration of these matters and the opportunity to share our concerns with you.

Sincerely

Kirsty O'Connell
Secretary
Friends of the Upper Hunter Inc

As a young member of the Upper Hunter community I am writing to object to the Maxwell Underground Mining Proposal.
My generation will be forced to deal with the impacts of approving further fossil fuel projects when the science is already in. We cannot afford another coal mine anywhere and certainly not in the Hunter Valley, where we already struggle with the worst air quality in the State.
As the sixth generation of a farming family I want a future in this area. But for that to happen we need to invest in the industries that will provide sustainable, satisfying jobs for my generation without compromising the health of our environment our our communities.
Please reject this proposal.

I object to the Maxwell Underground Mine Proposal. They may have changed the name but this is just Drayton South rebadged.
You just approved another 150 million tonnes of coal to be ripped out at Wambo... where does it stop? I don't mind anyone trying to make a living but we've got the worst air quality in NSW, asthma rates that are way too high and we just can't afford another coal mine.
Will we as taxpayers be expected to foot the bill when all the people suffering from asthma, other breathing disorders, cardiac problems etc from all of the mine-generated dust finally take a class action against the NSW Government and win? If the liability on Roundup is potentially billions what will the liability on coal dust be worth?
People are leaving this community because of the dust. People are investing elsewhere because of the dust. People are getting sick because of the dust.
Mr Stokes it's time that someone takes our concerns seriously and stops approving new mines and mine expansions until you get the EPA doing its job, deal with the air pollution from our current mines, work out what impact its having on our health and manage it.
The people who live here can't afford you taking any more chances on our behalf.

I object to the Maxwell Underground Mine. They clearly spent a long time writing their EIS documents but maybe they should have spent a bit less time padding out reports and a bit more time talking to local people.
As so many of us have said so many times - we already have too many mines in the area. We share our concerns with you people at the Planning Department but we rarely seem to have any impact..... it's just rip it up before the regulation catches up or the rest of the world shifts to solar and you can't sell any more coal.
To be a bit more specific - our air is too polluted, we don't have enough water, we need space for local families to live, we need space to produce food, we need space on our roads and our railway lines we need long term local families to stay in the area where they are known and loved - not to be bought out or pushed out because their quality of life has been destroyed.

I am writing to object to the Maxwell Mine and particularly to the fact that the community is having to have this same discussion AGAIN.
The community made it clear during all the rounds of Drayton South that we don't want a mine here. We went through an extremely divisive campaign fuelled, in my opinion, by the proponent, the Minerals Council and the CFMEU. We can't afford another campaign setting people in this community against each other - which is why I've chosen to keep my name confidential.
More than six generations of my family have lived and farmed around Denman, now the area is unrecognisable. The remaining riverflats and the area around Woodlands and Coolmore are some of the few exceptions. As well as seeing my ancestral home deteriorate to a sorry state, myself and my children have personally been displaced by mining at Muswellbrook. When will it stop? Will the Department just let everything be ripped up? Do you care about our communities or our history at all? Or for that matter about our future?
I'm concerned about the health impacts for my children and grandchildren, about whether any of them will be able to continue farming giving the double challenge of mining competing for staff, land and water and also contributing to the climate change that makes it almost impossible to plan for the future.
We need to start diversifying our local economy - not destroying the alternative industries that we will need in the future.
Please reject this mine.

I object to the Maxwell Underground Coal Mine. We've already approved another huge mine development in the Hunter Valley this year with Wambo and we still have the Dartbrook Mine hanging over our heads with the company saying they might appeal (apparently getting the most community objections of any modification in NSW history wasn't clear enough for the Planning Commission to just give us an outright no!).
We don't need more uncertainty and more people and businesses in limbo while you thrash out Drayton South take 10!
What the state collects off these projects (less than $2B for the WHOLE industry and only a few hundred million off a mine like Maxwell) is nothing compared to the health impacts, the environmental impacts, the change to our community and the massive holes in the ground that you fail to deal with.
And we're supposed to believe that suddenly this project has gone from producing normal thermal coal for export to now producing coking coal? Seems odd that Anglo didn't realise that?
And apparently we're also supposed to believe that all the Aboriginal artefacts stop at the project boundary? I actually care about our indigenous heritage... would be nice if it got a proper look in in this assessment.
This is just another proposal from yet another greedy mining company looking to cash in before this industry dies a natural death... not because the Australian or NSW Government give a bugger about climate change... but because other countries do and they stop buying this toxic crap from us.

I support the Maxwell Underground project, as it is going to greatly benefit Muswellbrook and the surrounding community. The large contingent of new jobs will help the local economy to flourish. As a local resident, it is important to see potential for positive influx and growth. By creating an underground mine, the project is considering and trying to minimize their environmental impacts. After visiting the Maxwell Infrastructure site, I have witnessed the extensive rehabilitation being conducted to reverse the previous effects of an open cut mine. The land is flourishing and early rehabilitated sites are now capable of supporting livestock. Also, by adopting underground mining practices the project is reducing its impact on the current local ecosystems, by allowing native animals to remain in their current state. This is very advantageous to the local flora and fauna. Finally, the mine is going to provide high quality coal; with a large portion (at least 75%) being coking coal (used in the making of steel). With four seams, the project is expected to produce quality coal for approximately 26 years. This longevity is important as it will help support and provide stability for the local community. To reiterate, I support the Maxwell Underground Coal Mine Project.

See attachment

I support the extraction and utilisation of high grade coal for domestic and international applications. The project appears to be well planned with very low environmental impact. It's a great project for the Hunter region and Australia.

I have lived and worked in the Hunter Valley including Singleton and Muswellbrook for over 30 years of my life. Over that time, the area has enjoyed the economic benefits of the mining industry's upturns and also been affected by the downturns. Although I have recently moved out of the area, I continue to have family and close friends in the area, many of whom are employed in the mining industry directly. A new underground mine for the area will keep locals employed in the area with some much needed job security. I support the Maxwell Underground Coal Mine Project submission as I believe that Malabar are committed to supporting the local area and will carry out the project delivering economic and job benefits whilst not costing the local environment.

Malabar have addressed the common pitfalls and concerns that new coal projects generally attract. In contrast to open cut, mining underground doesn't have significant impacts on the local air quality. Malabar should be acknowledged for their commitment to and serious approach to rehabilitation of the land. They have wasted no time starting rehabilitation of the old Drayton open cut mining area, have opened up some of the land for cattle grazing and are investing in a solar farm on the rehabilitated land (pending approval).

Malabar have demonstrated it's commitment to co-existing with the community with a a win-win and common-sense approach. There is no reason I can fathom as to why the current submission should be rejected or prevented from going forward. I hope my input has assisted, even in a small way, in helping the submission for the project to be ultimately successful.

Please see attached the Resources Regulator's response

Underground mine great addition to the hunter coal industry, more environmentally friendly and lots of jobs for underground workers

SSD 9526 Heritage Letter - Maxwell Underground Coal Mine Project - EIS

Please see attached request for further information.

Council's submission is attached