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State Significant Development

Determination

Maxwell Underground Coal Mine Project

Muswellbrook Shire

Current Status: Determination

Interact with the stages for their names

  1. SEARs
  2. Prepare EIS
  3. Exhibition
  4. Collate Submissions
  5. Response to Submissions
  6. Assessment
  7. Recommendation
  8. Determination

Underground mining to produce high quality coals primarily for the steel industry using existing and proposed new infrastructure.

Consolidated Consent

Maxwell Mod 2 Consolidated Consent

Archive

Request for SEARs (2)

EIS (48)

Response to Submissions (2)

Agency Advice (15)

Amendments (1)

Additional Information (25)

Recommendation (3)

Determination (3)

Approved Documents

Management Plans and Strategies (91)

Agreements (2)

Community Consultative Committees and Panels (2)

Reports (3)

Independent Reviews and Audits (2)

Notifications (4)

Other Documents (8)

Note: Only documents approved by the Department after November 2019 will be published above. Any documents approved before this time can be viewed on the Applicant's website.

Complaints

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Enforcements

There are no enforcements for this project.

Inspections

05/09/2023

Note: Only enforcements and inspections undertaken by the Department from March 2020 will be shown above.

Submissions

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Showing 81 - 100 of 245 submissions
Name Withheld
Support
PELAW MAIN , New South Wales
Message
I support the project.
Andrew Bremner
Support
KURRABA POINT , New South Wales
Message
Dear Sir / Madam
Re: Maxwell Underground Coal Mine Project SSD-9526

My name is Andrew Bremner and I am writing to you as NSW resident , business owner and tax payer.
I support the Maxwell Underground Coal Mine Project for the following reasons:
Community support - with the decline in coal jobs in the area, 350 new jobs will be strongly welcomed. This in turn will stimulate local economic activity.
Low environmental impact - no open-cut here, it's all underground.
Contribution to NSW - royalties circa $1b is a significant contribution to the people of NSW - hospitals, schools and more.

Kind regards, Andrew
Greenedge Contracting NSW
Support
TARRO , New South Wales
Message
We are of the opinion in regards to the Maxwell Underground Coal Mine Project, that Malabar Coal have a positive approach to the community, the environment and the opportunity for employment. They have the infrastructure to support this mine (i.e. washeries, workshop facilities, coal loading and rail loop and employee facilities) and have considered all aspects of the surrounding community and it's cultural heritage. Our business values the commitment and professionalism of the Malabar team in their ongoing completion of rehabilitation works on the previous site and in their pursuit to have the Maxwell Project approved. Malabar's quality approach to current rehabilitation works to date has laid a solid foundation for continued success and the future of Maxwell Underground Coal Mine Project.
Jason Baker
Support
GRETA , New South Wales
Message
The Maxwell Underground Coal Mine Project will provide much needed employment opportunities for the local community and also support local business.
Australian Rail Track Corporation
Comment
Broadmeadow , New South Wales
Message
Attachments
Dan Cleary
Support
GRATTAI , New South Wales
Message
Please find letter attached
Attachments
Steven Lothian
Support
HAMLYN TERRACE , New South Wales
Message
please see attached letter regarding my support for this project.
Attachments
Kim Anderson
Support
WAMBERAL , New South Wales
Message
I am writing to lodge my support for Malabar Coal’s Maxwell Underground Project. I have worked within the Mining industry for over 35 years with various Engineering design supply and construction companies and have reviewed the proposed underground coal mining project in detail and believe this to be a valuable opportunity for our state and to our local community.

As someone who has lived and worked within the area for over 20 years I have seen the great benefits that mining has brought to our local community: -
• Job Creation: Skilled jobs for the local community providing opportunities for those within the industry and for our youth to learn a new trade/profession.
• Economic Benefits: From the direct jobs created by the project many more new jobs would be created from the wages which flow into the local economy and into state and local councils. Such economic benefit would also help support regional services and infrastructure.
• Support to local community organisations: I have seen firsthand how todays mining companies have become part of their community providing welcome support to a range of local organisations and work together with the other local industries to achieve a win win outcome.
These benefits will make a substantial long-term difference to the communities in the Upper Hunter and to NSW.
I fully support the Maxwell Underground Project to ensure our, and our children’s future economic prosperity.
Attachments
Travers Wood
Support
Springfield , New South Wales
Message
See attached
Attachments
Peter Weatherhead
Support
BATEAU BAY , New South Wales
Message
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to voice my support for the Maxwell Underground Coal Mine Project.

My name is Peter Weatherhead, and I am a Senior Engineer for NEPEAN Conveyors ROXON Australia. I have spent my entire professional career (over the past 16 years) working for Original Equipment Manufacturers in the Bulk Materials Handling industry, and I am extremely grateful for the fact that this has enabled me to support my family and provide employment opportunities outside of capital cities.

This industry (like so many others) is extremely reliant on mining projects, as the needs of tunnelling, food production and processing or warehousing etc are simply not large enough to support businesses and staff. It is clear to me that many of the businesses in the Hunter region are dependent on the mining industry either directly or indirectly.

In saying that, I am also highly conscience of the ethical/environmental issues surrounding coal mining. I do believe, that as a nation and globally, we need to move away from reliance on coal (and other hydrocarbons) for energy production as soon as reasonably practical, and with that the development of new thermal coal mines which can only lead to increased emissions and the associated climatic consequences. From the information I have reviewed, the Maxwell Underground project will be extracting very high-quality coal, of which the majority can be used for metallurgical purposes.

Working in this industry for so long, I have had the opportunity to visit mines extracting a variety of resources around Australia and internationally. In my opinion, the local impacts of underground mines and open cut mines are incomparable. I have visited some underground mines where the impact is so low, that I expect it would be difficult for people to identify these operations as mines, if it were not for the signage on the gates, Mandalong on the Central Coast of NSW is a good example. Whilst I expect that, the impact of Maxwell will be greater than this example mine due to the need to load trains, I am confident that the impact of this development will be insignificant when compared to that from the open cut mining operations in surrounding locations.

Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss my thoughts.

Regards,
Peter Weatherhead
David Lofthouse
Support
POINT CLARE , New South Wales
Message
To Whom It May Concern
Re: Maxwell Underground Coal Mine Project. SSD-9526
My name is David Lofthouse and I am General Manager of ROXON Australia (part of the NEPEAN Conveyors group), with 29 years of experiencing in the Australian Mining Industry.
I am writing to lodge my support for Malabar Coal’s Maxwell Underground Project.
This is a sensible project that has been designed so the community can enjoy a much-needed economic boost without negatively impacting other local industries and land uses.
I support the project because it will deliver important benefits for the local community and NSW. As mentioned earlier I have been working in the mining industry for almost 3 decades and in that time have seen many industry ups-and-downs, so have extensive and firsthand experience in the positive effects mining projects have on economic and community growth.
We are currently coming out (or trying to come out) of many years of poor performance in the coal mining industry, where lack of projects due to low demand / low commodity prices resulted in layoffs at the mines and at the companies that provide equipment and services. In fact, a conveyor equipment manufacturer that I previously worked for went into liquidation in 2015 when there was not enough work to continue operating, and in that instance alone more than 30 people lost their jobs.
I would also point out that all but a few of these people were forced to leave the industry to find work, which has produced a deficit of experienced people now that the health of the industry is starting to improve.
In this context. I strongly support the development of the Maxwell Underground Project because it will create jobs at the mine, and for suppliers like myself.
It will also create significant benefits for the local community. This is not just because of the jobs created for those who end up at the mine, but it entices people to the area so has flow on effects for local business owners (hotels, restaurants, bars, etc.). It also stimulates growth in the local community, where businesses have confidence to make more investments to grow their own operations due to long-term ongoing revenue.
It also entices young people to stay in the area, who may have otherwise left the region to find employment opportunities elsewhere.
With projects of this nature the local communities generally benefit from increased government activity as well. When a community is healthy and growing and the mine is generating millions (billions?) for State Government and local Councils there are usually investments into the local schools, hospitals, roads and infrastructure, etc. Projects like this help ensure our ongoing prosperity and can support the economy for years to come.
Our community needs a diverse economy and the Maxwell Underground Project can help make sure our economy prospers for decades to come.
Regards
David Lofthouse
Jean du Plessis
Support
WYONG , New South Wales
Message
I am in support of the Maxwell Project.
Attachments
Michael Barker
Support
FENNELL BAY , New South Wales
Message
I am writing to lodge my support for Malabar Coal’s Maxwell Underground Project.
This is a sensible project that has been designed so our community can enjoy a much-needed economic boost without negatively impacting other local industries and land uses.
I support the project because it will deliver important benefits for the local community and NSW.

• ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The Maxwell Project will create 350 new jobs for the region. These new jobs and the wages that will flow from them, will deliver a much needed boost to the local economy. Further afield, the project will also generate $1 billion to $1.25 billion for the NSW State Government and local Councils. This money can be used to upgrade regional hospitals, schools or infrastructure. Projects like this help ensure our ongoing prosperity and can support the economy for years to come.
• JOB CREATION: The project will mean 350 more skilled jobs for the local community. These jobs will inject around $55 million in wages into our community – benefiting many other businesses in the area. Malabar has also promised to provide training for local people so the skills to operate an underground mine can be developed within the local area. They have also said they want to prioritise hiring locals to ensure that the benefits of the project stay here in the community.
• LOCAL ECONOMY: The project will boost our local economy and help local business owners. It will support a wide range of local businesses throughout the construction phase and operation of the mine over 26 years. Long term projects, like this one, will mean local businesses can make more investments, grow their operations, hire more people and keep workers – especially young people – in the region.
• COEXISTENCE: The project is a common-sense “win-win” for our community. Previous open cuts proposals were contentious, but Malabar have heard us and developed a sensible project that means our community can benefit from the economic boost a new mine will provide – while also allowing the horse studs and other land uses to continue their operations. I’m pleased that the EIS for the Maxwell Project shows that the underground mine can co-exist safely with other industries. Co-existence has always been an important part of our community. Having a number of strong industries has helped our community to flourish. This project means that can continue for years to come.
• REHABILITATION: Malabar takes mine rehabilitation seriously. They started rehabilitating the old Drayton open cut straight away and have made great progress so far. It is great to see a business take this job so seriously. I appreciate that they have already opened up some of the land for cattle to graze on. This shows a commitment to coexistence with other local industries. I also note that the Maxwell Project will deliver a better rehabilitation outcome in the long term by filling voids at the former Drayton Mine with reject stone and rock. This will mean a much better outcome for our community.
• RE-USE OF INFRASTRUCTURE: The project plans to make use of existing facilities therefore reducing the overall footprint of the project. Making use of existing infrastructure and sharing of infrastructure is a good way of reducing the impacts of mining and should be applauded.
These benefits will make a substantial long-term difference to the communities in the Upper Hunter and to NSW.
Our community needs a diverse economy and the Maxwell Underground Project can help make sure our economy prospers for decades to come.
Regards

Michael Barker
Name Withheld
Support
WOOLLAHRA , New South Wales
Message
In my opinion this project makes sense for the following reasons:
- the majority of coal produced is metallurgical quality which can be used in the steel making process rather and electricity supply
- there will be minimal impact above ground due to it being an underground mine and the fact they are utilising existing infrastructure for processing the coal on surface. The existing plant and infrastructure is relatively isolated from the neighbouring properties.
- the project will employ a material number of people in the construction and production phases, which offers an economic benefit to the local community
Attachments
Tracey Collett
Support
MUSWELLBROOK , New South Wales
Message
Attachments
Nick Hardgraves
Support
YOUNG , New South Wales
Message
Attachments
Ken Mann
Support
MUSWELLBROOK , New South Wales
Message
Attachments
Bailey Pope
Support
YOUNG , New South Wales
Message
Attachments
Name Withheld
Support
WYBONG , New South Wales
Message
Attachments
John Whitney
Support
Not Supplied , New South Wales
Message
Attachments

Pagination

Project Details

Application Number
SSD-9526
EPBC ID Number
2018/8287
Assessment Type
State Significant Development
Development Type
Coal Mining
Local Government Areas
Muswellbrook Shire
Decision
Approved
Determination Date
Decider
IPC-N
Last Modified By
SSD-9526-Mod-2
Last Modified On
20/10/2022

Contact Planner

Name
Lauren Evans