Mod 8 - Ulan West Continued Operations

I object to this completely unnecessary project that will cause further damage to my children’s s environment.
There are significant potential impacts on water resources, biodiversity, Aboriginal cultural heritage, and the local community. Many small farms and properties in the area depend on springs and a high water table, which are already under pressure from groundwater drawdown due to ongoing Ulan Mine operations.

The justification for this expansion is very poor. Although Ulan Mine has approval to extract up to 20 million tonnes of coal annually until 2035, it only managed to extract 9.29 million tonnes in 2024. The promised public benefits — such as royalties and economic contributions — are not being met, while the environmental, social, and cultural costs continue to escalate.

This project will:
Impact the Murray–Darling basin, the backbone of Australia's agriculture industry
Impact 1,734 ha including 191 ha of vegetation clearing.
Undermine 6.5km of rugged sandstone escarpment.
Create cumulative impacts on the Talbragar and Goulburn Rivers through groundwater and surface water interception.
Please reject this project.

The Mining and Energy Union South Western District (MEU) is proud to represent coal mineworkers in New South Wales’ western coalfields, including at Glencore’s Ulan Coal Complex. Ulan and Ulan West pits supply high-grade thermal coal to Australia’s key export partners, continuing a century-long tradition of coal mining in the Ulan area.
The MEU supports Ulan Coal Mines Pty Ltd’s Ulan West Continued Operations Modification 8 application (MP08_0184-Mod-8). The modification would see mining at Ulan continue for an additional six years to 2041, delivering royalties to the New South Wales Government, protecting hundreds of local jobs, and stimulating local economic activity for the Mid-Western region of New South Wales.
The modification will support continued employment for approximately 590 existing Ulan workers – most of whom live locally in the Mid-Western Regional LGA – and could potentially support hundreds of new job opportunities, with Ulan Coal Complex approved to employ up to 930 workers. Ulan is an important local employer of First Nations workers, with 11.7 per cent of the current workforce identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Ulan workers contribute around $60 million per year in household expenditure in the local community, and Ulan Coal Mines Pty Ltd’s community investment reached $970,000 in 2024.
The modification is also environmentally sensible. It meets export demand for New South Wales coal by utilising existing infrastructure at one of the state’s lowest emissions coal mines – Ulan Coal Complex’s negligible methane levels keep fugitive emissions intensity very low, and the mine’s electrified underground equipment perfectly places the mine for further operational emissions reduction as the state’s electricity grid continues to transition to renewable energy.
Regional communities in New South Wales are facing a challenging future as our economy changes in response to the global energy transition. The Ulan West Continued Operations Modification 8 application would provide an additional six years of certainty to local families and small businesses and help protect local economic wellbeing into the future.
Bob Timbs
District President

Ulan Coal Mine Mod 6 already rejected on environmental survivability grounds - therefore Mod 8 must also follow it into the graveyard of bad proposals, since its timeline has no logical basis. It's also a really bad idea.

It has come to my attention that Mod 8 - Ulan West Continued Operations, can no longer be approved now that Ulan Mod 6 has been successfully overturned.
I am calling again for Mod 8 to be rejected now that Mod 6 has been ruled invalid.
David Platt.

I do not agree with allowing an expansion of the operations of Ulan Coal, my reasons are the same as a great many of the individuals and families who live close by. However, the bigger picture of climate change and transitioning to renewables also influences my view particularly when decisions about new coal operations extend so far into the future. My key concerns for this new operation are as follows:
1. Releasing over 105 Mt of additional Greenhouse Gas emissions, poor monitoring and
reporting of methane emissions.
2. Outside existing mine boundary with additional infrastructure disturbance - should be
assessed as a new project
3. Constructing a large new tailings dam area of 132 ha within a revegetated, rehabilitated
old open cut pit next to Goulburn River risking leakage of toxic contaminants
4. Wholly west of Great Dividing Range within the Murray Darling Basin - loss of flows to
Talbragar River, tributary of Macquarie River feeding into significant Macquarie Marshes
5. Extended water releases into Goulburn River increasing salt load downstream to Hunter
6. Loss of Aboriginal cultural heritage and spiritual landscape for Wiradjuri Nation –
impacting 71 known sites, including rock art
7. Disturbing an additional 1743 ha with sandstone escarpment, caves and overhangs:
Destroying additional important habitat for the nationally threatened Large-eared Pied
Bat, Eastern Cave Bat, Regent Honeyeater and Koala, critically endangered Box Gum
Woodland. Cumulative impact on these species across 3 mines in region.
8. Final layout of surface infrastructure not yet determined – mine plan not finalised
9. Undermining 17 private properties directly impacting 4 houses and 6 private bores
10. Increasing social impacts, loss of farm water and ongoing disturbance of rural way of life
11. This project is not needed to provide regional jobs – there is a huge workforce shortage
for renewable energy projects and other industries in the Central West .
Like so many other applications to Government, the Ulan Company is proposing this is a modification to their operations when it is clearly a new operation and should be assessed as such.
I trust these arguments against the operation will be considered fairly and contribute to a refusal of Ulan Coal Mine MOD8. The precedent it sets for future applications for modifications when they are clearly new operations is of utmost importance. I trust some consideration will be given to acknowledging this is NOT a modification so that proper standards and adherence to rules and regulations may be followed by others.

As per my uploaded Submission below I oppose this mine.

Mod 8 to be rejected now that Mod 6 has been ruled invalid

Logically this proposal cannot proceed as it depended on Mod 6. But as a general principle we should not extend any coal mines.

Thankfully, Mod 6 for the Ulan Coal mine has been rejected. Mod 8 has no basis now as it was directly attached to Mod 6, and relied on Mod 6's time extension.
I urge you to please reject this expansion. The days of coal are over, it's time we move on. Thank you.

This project will:
Impact the Murray–Darling basin, the backbone of Australia's agriculture industry
Impact 1,734 ha including 191 ha of vegetation clearing.
Undermine 6.5km of rugged sandstone escarpment.
Create cumulative impacts on the Talbragar and Goulburn Rivers through groundwater and surface water interception.

I call for Mod 8 to be rejected now that Mod 6 has been ruled invalid. It is no longer relevant and Mod 8 is now fundamentally unworkable

Please find submission outlining important limitations of the biodiversity assessment.

On the basis that Module 6 was overturned by a court
Module 8 has no right to proceed.

I confirm my objection to this project.
I would like to add to my previous submission in the light of the very recent overturning of the Mod 6 application.

As Mod 8 relies on Mod 6, I believe that Mod 8 is no longer possible and thus an unworkable application that should be rejected.
Yours sincerely,
Rosie White

I object to Glencore’s Ulan West Continued Operations Modification 8 (Mod 8) and request that it be rejected. Since the recent overturning of the mine’s Modification 6, Mod 8 is now no longer valid and should also be rejected.
I live on a property on the Goulburn River that my family has owned and lived on for over 40 years. Having a healthy river and reliable source of water has made this possible. An additional 6 years of mine operations, as proposed in Glencore’s Ulan West Continued Operations Modification (UWCO Mod) Report, will increase threats to this river system, as well as further enhance and extend negative climate impacts, globally as well as locally.
A further 6 years of mine water discharge will add approximately 30,000 TONNES OF ADDITIONAL SALT into the Goulburn River. Further to this, the UWCO Mod report states that it will require an additional 132ha tailings dam which they would place directly adjacent to the Goulburn River. The proximity of this dam poses a real risk of leakage of pollutants into the river. Have the tolerances on this river system (the Goulburn River is a major tributary of the Hunter River) been truly assessed?
We are experiencing more extreme weather events that have led to infrastructure damage (roads and creek causeways) in recent years, causing social and economic impacts. The loss of Wollar Creek causeway on Mogo Rd after a major flood event left residents stranded and unable to leave their properties to go to work or shopping.
No more fossil fuel extraction please. I strongly object to Glencore’s Ulan West Continued Operations Modification8.

This modification depends entirely on Mod 6. That modification has been completely overturned in court. That means this modification cannot go ahead.

Also, coal is deeply destroying our entire society. It should simply not be mined.

Plan mod8 coal mine should not go ahead as we are in a climate emergency so we need to phase out coal and fastback to 100% renewable energy now to help save the planet .
regards
John Philpott.

Mod 8 is now unwokable without Mod 6 extensions which have been rejected.
I also object on the basis of the contribution that this expansion will make to greenhouse gas emissions and hence climate change.

To whom it may concern,
I would like to object to the Mod 8 - Ulan West Continued Operations for the following reasons:
1. It will release over 105 Mt of additional Greenhouse Gas emissions, allow the continuation of the existing poor monitoring poor quality of reporting of methane emissions.
2. It is outside existing mine boundary with additional infrastructure disturbance and should be assessed as a new project.
3. It will involve the construction of a large new tailings dam area of 132 ha within a revegetated, rehabilitated old open cut pit next to the Goulburn River risking leakage of toxic contaminants.
4. It will cause loss of flows to the Talbragar River, a tributary of the Macquarie River feeding into the significant Macquarie Marshes.
5. It will increase water releases into the Goulburn River increasing salt load downstream to the Hunter.
6. There will be a serious loss of Aboriginal cultural heritage and spiritual landscape for Wiradjuri Nation – impacting 71 known sites, including rock art.
7. It will involve disturbing an additional 1743 ha with sandstone escarpment, caves and overhangs destroying additional important habitat for the nationally threatened Large-eared Pied Bat, Eastern Cave Bat, Regent Honeyeater and Koala, and critically endangered Box Gum Woodland. There is a very significant cumulative impact on these species across the 3 mines in the region.
8. The final layout of surface infrastructure has not yet been determined, and the mine plan has not been finalised.
9. It will impact 17 private properties directly impacting 4 houses and 6 private bores.
10. It will cause increased social impacts, loss of farm water and ongoing disturbance of the community's rural way of life.
11. This project is not needed to provide regional jobs. There is a huge workforce shortage for renewable energy projects and other industries in the Central West area.

Thank you for your consideration.

Kind regards,
Katherine Kotarska.

I am objecting to the Mod 8 -Ulan West Continued Operations proposal on the following Basis:
1. We are currently experiencing changes in our weather patterns due to overheating of the earths atmosphere resulting in weather extremes, fires, drought, flooding, loss of habitat, massive flora and fauna extinction rates. This is directly related to our use of fossil fuels. Australia is contributing to this through our export of coal. We must accept responsibility for the sale of our coal and we must consider this in relation to the impact it has on our changing climate. We should be transitioning to renewables and NOT increasing our extraction of fossil fuels.
2.Because this proposal is outside the existing mine boundary with additional infrastructure disturbance it should be
assessed as a new project not just an extension
3. The construction of a large new tailings dam within a revegetated, rehabilitated
old pit next to the Goulburn River creates a dangerous risk of leakage of toxic contaminants into the Goulbourn River. Why bother rehabilitating an area then completley disregarding the work that is done by adding this risk of contamination.
4. This extension risks the loss of flows to the Talbragar River which is a tributary of the Macquarie River which feeds into the significant Macquarie Marshes which is a significant environmental area.
5 . The loss of Aboriginal cultural heritage and spiritual landscape for the Wiradjuri Nation with the impact on 71 known sites, including rock art stands alone as a significant reason for not approving this submission. When will this destruction stop!
6. The disturbance of the environment risks the habitat of the nationally threatened Large-eared Pied
Bat, Eastern Cave Bat, Regent Honeyeater and Koala as well as the critically endangered Box Gum
Woodland. The cumulative impact on these species across 3 mines in the region has the potential to be devastating to these species. .
7 . This mine plan is not yet finalised and hence should not be even considered until the final layer of the surface infastructure is determined.
8. If approved this project directly impacts 17 private properties , 4 houses and 6 private bores. This must be a major consideration in refusing the expansion . The community and individuals within it must be considered over profits to be gained from this project.
9. Employment created by transitioning to renewable energy projects will be a far greater asset to the local community and Western NSW economy generally than propping up employment in the mining industry as the world moves to cleaner, greener energy.
This project must not be approved .