Mount Pleasant Optimisation Project

I strongly object to the extension of the Mount Pleasant mine. The number of open cut mines which now operate in the valley is horrendous. Not only are they ugly - huge scars on beautiful food producing land, they also create so much dust and pollution within the valley. You can actually see the haze which sits on a still day. My eldest child and husband are asthmatic and it flairs on hazy days.
I worry about the Hunter, it used to be known for wine, horses, tourism and beautiful farming country, it is now known for open cut mining .
I can’t believe that Muswellbrook is surrounded by open cut mines and this extension sees no end in sight. How are mines allowed to be built and worked so close to a large country town?!
Please think of the future, these decisions seem to be so short sighted with no regard for future generations, for the amount of pollution produced , for the amount of water available or basic healthy living. Why ruin a beautiful valley for even longer with no regards for the people living there.

I do realise the mines provide employment and income to local towns but surely there are other ways to boost incomes rather than open cut mining.

I object to the proposed Mt Pleasant Coal Mine “Optimisation” Project.
I contend that it is far from optimal to increase the rate and volume of extraction of fossil fuel in to our vulnerable future of global warming. The greenhouse gas emissions from this proposal would contribute an estimated 860 million tonnes to the atmosphere. We cannot afford to approve any more coal mining if we are to have any chance of a safe climate.
This application should be rejected.
The people of the Muswellbrook township already suffer from poor air quality that has serious health impacts. The air pollution from the dust from existing coal mines surrounding the town routinely exceeds national standards. This proposed intensification of Mt Pleasant mining is directly in the path of the north westerly winds that prevail in this locality. The impact of a doubling of the annual volume of extraction greatly increases the risk of severity and frequency of air pollution events for Muswellbrook which is directly downwind of this mine. The air quality for the people, plants and animals of the Upper Hunter and particularly the population of Muswellbrook is already compromised by the current mining of the Hunter Valley.
It is not only the cumulative impact of this proposal on air quality that is of concern but also long term loss of water in the alluvium. The groundwater impact assessment predicts that the long-term annual loss of base flow in to the rivers would be in the order of 40 million litres. This water would, if the extension of time application was approved, drain in to the mine and its final void. This is planned to be 3km long and 0.5km wide. The Hunter Valley certainly does not need another toxic salty evaporation sink at the expense of loss of water flow in the Hunter River.
Optimising private profit at the expense of serious environmental harm from increased greenhouse gas emissions exacerbating global warming, diminished air quality in the Hunter Valley and compromised water quantity for the Hunter River is certainly not in the public interest. This proposal contributes to a cumulative impact from coal mining in the Hunter Valley that cannot be mitigated nor rightfully tolerated. This proposed extension of coal mining is not Ecological Sustainable Development, it should be rejected.

I believe that this project is good for the local economy and will continue to improve the town's employment rate.

Please see my submission. attached, objecting to the proposed Mount Pleasant Optimisation Project.

I have seen the degradation and destruction of our local landscape throughout my 25 years of life living here. As a young boy I enjoyed the beauty and purity of our Hunter landscape. Now, every time I return home all I see is holes in the ground and dust in the air. The fact governments and individuals continue to willingly destroy not only the landscape but their children's and the worlds future is despicable. The governments (who are made up of willing and able individuals who's job is to provide a future) who support these projects are most at fault and history will not look kindly on those who have mutated and defiled their prosperity. This is not simply about providing employment and jobs for people for the next 10 years and then leave. Australian history is littered with these long forgotten, empty and destroyed communities. It is about preserving the land so that it can be worked on and enjoyed for the next 1000. It is about reducing our effect on the environment both locally and globally to not only pass down generational equity for our children and grandchildren but to ensure the longevity of all of human kind.

I struggle every day with the idea that what we have taken for granted in Australia will become nothing and the land you have left behind will just be holes in the ground and dust in the air. There will be no sweeping landscapes filled with wildlife, or farms that produce crops and wine for our people. It's time to wake and realise the damage that has already been done.

Mining north Muswellbrook should not occur at all let alone be extended or fast tracked. It represents a non compatible land use that seriously effects other well established, high value industries, particularly the thoroughbred industry. In addition to this, expansion of coal mining would seem to be not economically viable given the current market, and projected future markets for this product. It is also not congruent with any vision to be carbon neutral in the near to medium term future of our State.

I strongly object to the Mount Pleasant Optimisation Project. It puts not only my own home at risk, but also will compound the already existing effects felt by the critical industry clusters and strategic agricultural groups. These impacts have significant effects on the air quality, our community and water levels. Worst of all, the environmental impacts felt will be catastrophic and have a lasting legacy in our community - one that is tragic. I feel a real sense of loss when observing the degradation that has occurred throughout the valley. Additional mining is not needed and will only create long-term negative impacts on our environment.

I would like to lodge an objection to the Mt Pleasant mine expansion proposal.

I object to the proposal. As a young person I am enraged by the lack of action of our leaders to mitigate climate change and transition to a sustainable future. This proposal for the expansion of Mount Pleasant is abhorrent. Given the wealth of knowledge we have about the cumulative impacts of air and water pollution as well as land degradation on the local and global environment, as well as animal and human health, I am quite honestly appalled an expansion is even in question.

I totally object to the Mount Pleasant Optimisation project for the following reasons
The air pollution from the Mines in Muswellbrook and the prevailing winds which blow the pollution into populated areas does not meet national standards, my daughter in law and 2 years old grandson put off visits from Newcastle to me in Scone due to their asthma, they always get wheezy when they come to visit, consequently I get very few visits from them. not acceptable!!!
The landscape is totally decimated by the mines and its spoils how can this ever been repaired!
Aboriginal artifacts are being destroyed by these mines...... an archaeological disaster!
The mine site includes two threatened fauna species the striped legless lizard and the squirrel glider, how will these be protected.
My family have been farmers in the Upper Hunter (Scone area) since 1837 - I want to be able to confidently say to my Grandchildren this is your heritage, but what exactly will we be leaving our children - holes in the ground, polluted air, etc etc etc
This is not acceptable, stop this mine before it is too late!

Please refer to attached submission.

Both my husband and I are employed full time by Thiess at Mt Pleasant Operations.
Muswellbrook is where both of us have grown up our entire lives and as such have seen many changes in the community. We have two sons aged 15yrs and 14yrs who both attend Muswellbrook High School.
We have both seen firsthand over the last 30years our local community grow, industry increase and employment opportunities increase due to the input and support of the mining industry.
We both support the Mt pleasant extension as this will mean continued job security for myself and my husband but also for my children who will be joining the workforce in a few short years. Muswellbrook, Scone, Aberdeen, Denman and other surrounding communities all benefit from the employment opportunities not only for ourselves but also our children’s future.
Regards
Kirsten and Simon Nicol.

See attached.

Please refer to letter attached.

Please refer to attached submission.

To approve the extension and expansion of open cut mining operations at Mt Pleasant to 2048, and extraction of an additional 247 million tonnes of run-of-mine (ROM) coal over the life of this Project, is an abject failure of the systems put in place to apparently protect communities negatively impacted by open cut coal mining.
We, as communities living the impacts of open cut coal mining every day, are fed up with this process that continues to fail us at every juncture. Enough is well and truly enough for our region. Stop this now.

The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) is submitting for your consideration a report – ‘Australian Thermal Coal Exports Outlook’ - an analysis of the long term impact of energy policy and investment decisions across Asia on the future of Australian thermal coal.

Ultimately, demand for Australian thermal coal will be set by the policies and actions of governments and companies in coal-importing Asian nations. The current status and outlook for coal-fired power in these nations has far more impact on the future of Australian thermal coal than the policies and ambitions of the Australian coal industry and state and federal governments.

I hope this report will be useful in assessing the merits of approving further Australian thermal coal production into a market set for long term decline.

Regards,
Simon Nicholas
Energy Finance Analyst
Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis

I strongly object to the project due to its impact on the local air quality and health of our citizens, destruction of productive farm land and the horribleness of the mines so close to our towns. We believe valuable land for agriculture should not be mined. Whaat is going to happen in the future if the mines keep digging up our beautiful valley?
Please stop this now!

The Scone Equine Hospital objects to the Mount Pleasant Optimisation Project

Yarraman Park Stud objects to the Mount Pleasant Optimisation Project