Vickery Mine Extension

Provides employment in the area.

Our local company heavily relys on the industry in order to sustain our
growth not only within our company but also in the local community.
Our 25 employees and their families to which are 100 percent local to
our area support whitehaven with their existing and future commitments
to local businesses and the wider community.
We believe The Vickery project will further strengthen the long term
relationships Whitehaven has shown and we support their developments
as they expand their operations whilst sustaining public and
environmental regulations.
Without companies like Whitehaven and projects like Vickery we would
have substantial difficulties in attracting new employees and families
to the region, which not only supports mining but also the various
retail and commercial industries that coexist well within our
community. This makes Gunnedah the great town that it is.

I support coal mining it's a nescerty to growth in the community s and
builds a strong work process for Australian workers and taxable
incomes , I also support a clean environment and dust control mesuares
should be a major control in keeping food and clean air quality, Coal
mining is and has been in Australia for a long time and should be for
many future employees to come , it is far the best power and most
clean and economic resources we have, build better power grids like
japan to keep our economy and energy, environment number 1 in the
world that's where we should be heading , mine smart .

I support this application throughly

I have worked in the region and in the industry for most of my career, In
my opinion we don't need another mine or anymore extensions, the
current mines are struggling for workers as it is. Just mine the areas
they have and then go mine out in remote areas away from farms and
communities.

I was born into a small mining community called Teralba in the Newcastle
area. Teralba, just like Gunnedah has a proud and successful mining
history dating back to the mid 1800's.
"https://www.nvi.com.au/story/4919816/140-years-of-coal-mining/ ".
Having lived in Teralba for 30 years and attended local Newcastle
schools and then other further studies my mining career started back
in 1999 where I was lucky to work across a number of mines in
Newcastle, Hunter Valley, Lithgow, QLD, China and Gunnedah/Narrabri
area as a contract engineer.

At the age of 30, happily married with 4 children and at a point in
our life where family and quality of life is the "most important" we
decided to move to Gunnedah, purchase a cattle farm and start work
with Whitehaven Coal Narrabri and have confidence that my family, wife
and children can also have the opportunities I had growing up. My wife
also works part time as a hairdresser and my four children attend
local Gunnedah schools, also participate in local Gunnedah Soccer,
Swimming, Dancing, Triathlon Club and other local community
activities.
We have been lucky to make friends with some great long standing
Gunnedah farming families. I have not heard or witnessed any local
animosity towards Whitehaven Coal's approach to its business,
community and environmental commitments.

Just like Teralba did for me, Gunnedah and the support mining brings a
vibrant and successful platform to families and the greater local
community. Without the investment from mining, I believe these
opportunities and family attractions to move to a central west
community just would not exist for families like they do in Gunnedah
today.

From jobs, community support, quality local investment mining,
Whitehaven Coal is helping to sustainably develop stronger central
west communities like Tamworth, Boggabri, Baan Baa, Narrabri,
Curlewis, Carol, Coonabarabran, Dubbo, Premer, Tambar Springs,
Mullaley, Manilla, Bingara, Barraba. I also have friends that work for
WHC as far away as Newcastle, Wollongong, Toowoomba, Lightning Ridge,
Port Macquarie and Bourke.
Yes, Mining and Whitehaven Coal support the local area but it is
obvious that its support doesn't stop there. Whitehaven Coal is the
largest Australian Coal Mining Company and its commitment to Australia
and local communities is long standing and will continue for a long
time to come.

I am a current Whitehaven employee at their Underground coal mine. I
wholeheartedly support the expansion of Whitehaven and all of its
ventures. I am a success story when it comes to relocating to the
Narrabri area, working here, supporting local economy and raising a
family. There is no way I could possibly be as successful as I am
without Whitehaven.

I'm concerned that the proposal will have adverse impacts on the
environment and climate change.

I support vickery project

I think this mine will be good for a comunnity that is currently
striggling to provide work for our struggling farmers

This project will help support the local community, which is especially
important when the agricultural industry's are so suppressed due to
the ongoing drought conditions in this area.

I believe this Submission by whitehaven coal will be a great addition to
the local community providing more local employment for local
residents of the north west areas. I also believe this will be a great
addition to local businesses and more wealth to the local surrounding
communities. Im a strong believer in this project and hope ut gains
its approval for the north west area's.

Namoi Valley Bricks is a big supporter of the mining industry in
Gunnedah, it plays a vital role in our success as we need to purchase
$500,000 of high-quality coal each year, which helps us to employ 25
full time staff. The coal which we use within the operation ads a
character to our product that sets us apart from our competitors.
The expansion of the extraction industry in the Namoi Basin has
improved the economic outlook of the region which in turn has seen a
major improvement to the construction industry which is a direct
benefit to our organisation.
The only issue with this improved economic activity is the pressure on
the employment market where employees that are suited for the mining
industry are also in high demand in the agriculture and manufacturing
sectors.
In our submission we would like to highlight the need for a `all of
community' approach to help to up-skill the youth and the long term
unemployed to meet the demands of an improved economic climate and
hope that Whitehaven would channel it's resources and community funds
to support the training sector to fill the training requirements for
the residents of the region to be able to tap into the opportunities
that are being created by this very important industry.
One suggestion that we would have which would support the training
needs of the wider community would be for major organisations like
Whitehaven to have a training policy within their organisation that
puts pressure on their supplier through the tendering process. Tenders
would have to demonstrate a commitment to training (apprentices)
within their application. This demonstration of training would be
weighted in the tendering process in a way that would give preference
to organisation that do train against ones that purchase skills.
We wish Whitehaven all the best for this project and look forward to
the continuing benefits of a vibrant extraction industry.

This means more jobs which in turn means money for locals and its
community

Our organisation is in favour of the project as long as it meets all of
the regulatory guidelines and environmental criteria. As a community
we rely on government departments to ensure these boxes are ticked.

The economic benefits to the community are greatly appreciated but as
Gunnedah has experienced many ups and downs but since the
reinvigoration of the extraction industry it has added to the
diversity and has helped to future proof our economic well being.

With that said, diversity is key to the sustainability of Gunnedah.
Therefore, we need to maintain that diversity. To maintain this
diversity we need a whole of community approach and we as a chamber we
wish that the benefits of the extraction industry can benefit the
whole of the community. In this regard, we need commitment to
training. Community funds that have been contributed to projects have
been earmarked for training the residents of this region to take up on
all of the opportunities of all sectors that have been created by the
economic well being of this project.

An example of what our community needs is a skills excellence centre
with accommodation attached so that the wider community including our
region around Gunnedah can come and tap into the benefits of the
diverse business economy offers be trained by specialist trainers that
have identified the shortfalls in skills across our community that are
reactive as the economic environment changes. This skills excellence
centre would add to the pool of trained employees for all businesses
to be able to access as the pressure on skilled employees increases
demand for skilled employees.

It is important that trade happens locally in the first instance at
every opportunity. Tenders should be weighted in that local businesses
are prioritised.

For example, we encourage Whitehaven to think about building a multi
maintenance centre utilising the washery site when its de
commissioned. This centre would support the whole of the whitehavens
mining operations and would conduct their off site maintenance
program. this facility would be supported strongly by a high level of
apprentices being trained by trades qualified with multiple years of
mining experience.

This centre would then support the mining and non-mining operations
with supplying highly skilled specialist trades people for the benefit
of the whole of the business community but in the first instance being
the feeder of the mining operations taking the pressure off local
businesses that are training apprentices only to lose them to the
extraction industry and not being able to find anyone to replace them
as there are major shortages in all levels of skills.

This is a cost effective suggestion from a transport and time
perspective.

I do support the application as I believe it will be good for the local
community by creating direct and indirect job opportunities and thus
having a positive impact on the local economy.

The project will allow the town to continue to grow.
More jobs in a community supportive of mining is a great thing.
The project has my full support.

The northwest needs industry to help towns survive in hard times. This
project will secure employment for future generations

I am in full support of the vickery project and support all studies
conducted via Whitehaven Coal.

Our organisation wish to support and have reviewed the studies and its
environmental impact in the region.