Mod 8 - Ulan West Continued Operations

Would give me job security for longer

We at the Blayney Eco Hub are opposed to the Mod 8 expansion of Ulan mine. As a community environment education centre, we know the detriment of coal on the wellbeing of all species, all life support systems on the planet, especially those surrounding the mine itself as well as downstream of it as well as those impacted by the ongoing disasters caused by climate change.

Since we held a regional conference in Blayney last year, our group has been gravely concerned about coal mining in our region. Mudgee locals who presented at the conference expressed concern of losing the beauty and amenity of the town of Wollar, of a shortage of workers for renewable energy projects, of the damage to the tourism industry, of the risk of pollution to ground water and the Murray Darling Basin, of the encroachment on the habitat of rare and endangered species and of the dire impacts of climate change these expansions would cause.

We also note that with the rejection of the Mod 6 expansion, the Mod 8 expansion, which relied on the infrastructure planning that belonged to the Mod 6 application, would logically have to be rejected as well, since they depended on one another.

We urge you to listen to the voices of the local community, rather than those polluting and devastating our region.

I object to Ulan Modification 8. As someone who lives in north-west NSW that has already been affected by coal mining, I know what these impacts look and feel like on the ground. I am concerned about what is being proposed at the Glencore Ulan Coal Mine.
Ulan is currently allowed to mine 20 million tonnes of thermal coal every year until 2035. Expansion beyond this is not necessary. There is 10 years to transition the region. This huge underground longwall mine already affects more than 120 km² of farmland and bushland places local people depend on for farming, for nature, and for their way of life. The mine already appears to affects water that feeds both the Murray Darling Basin and the Hunter catchment. In my region, we have seen how mining can damage creeks, groundwater, and farming water; I know these risks are real.
The new expansion should not be treated as a simple “modification.” It is outside the current lease and would bring new impacts that have never been assessed. Where I live, we’ve seen how companies try to use “modifications” to avoid proper scrutiny. Ulan’s proposal is clearly a new project, and the local community deserves a full and independent assessment including climate impacts and cumulative impacts.
Mod 8 wants to add another 43 million tonnes of coal and extend the mine to 2041. That means many more years of land disturbance, exacerbating the impacts of climate change for local people, NSW and across the world, more water stress, more dust and noise, and more pressure on people’s health and wellbeing. We have experienced these same pressures in our region, and they take a real toll on families, farms, and small towns. With the energy transition underway, this project is not required. There should be no further expansion of the Ulan Coal Mine. Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission.

Support local community, jobs in the region.

I object to the project as it occurs in important woodland habitats which support the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater and other threatened woodland birds. Mod 8 cannot proceed without Mod 6. Because Mod 6 has now been overturned, Mod 8 is no longer valid. • Mod 8’s proposed infrastructure is also directly attached to Mod 6’s underground longwall panels. Without Mod 6, that infrastructure cannot exist — meaning Mod 8 is fundamentally unworkable. It is completely unacceptable to approve new coal mines which will significantly add to atmospheric CO2 and accelerate dangerous climate change which threatens our future generations and our civilization.

1 Releasing over 105 ml 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 tailings dam area of 132 ha within a rehabited open cut pit next to Goulburn River, risking leakage of
toxic contamination.
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 downstrean into the 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, Regent Honey Eater and Koala , critically endangered Box Gum Woodland
Community, impact on these species across 3 mines in the region.
8 Final layout of surface infrastructure not yet determined - mine plan not finalised.
9. Undernining 19 private properties directly, impacting 4 houses and 6 private bores.
10 Increasing social impact , loss of farm water and ongoing disturbance of rural way of life.
11. This project is not need to regional jobs. There is a hugae workforce shortage for the renewable energy projects and other
industries in Central West.

I am deeply concerned that even though we are already experiencing climate change, and the scientific data demonstrates that Australian farmers are going to be directly detrimentally affected by the predicted climate change crisis, our governments (of any persuasion ie. Labor/Coalition- or level ie. Local, State, Federal) are even considering to continue mining and/or burning fossil fuels. The proposal to continue Ulan West Operations will enable a further extraction of 43 million tonnes of coal and add 105 million tonnes of carbon emissions into Earth's atmosphere is unfathomable.
We are a small business. We're mum and dad farmers who produce excellent beef. Day in, day out, we work hard to sustain the life and health of our stock, for the betterment of our sons' future. Our sons are the 5th generation of children on this beautiful land. Since they were little, they have learnt to nurture, protect, and adapt as they have grown on the land of their ancestors, of which they are the future guardians. In 2019, we worked tirelessly to try to keep our herd alive, during an horrific drought, exacerbated by the fossil fuelled climate change. This horrific drought included weeks of temperatures above 45 degrees. Hand feeding, not able to sell, we kept the majority of our herd alive. Our estimated loss for that period was $10000.
Since then, flooding has twice destroyed our access road, the 2022 bout causing irreparable damage. Outsourcing the reparations is still ongoing, and to date, we have forked out more than another (uninsurable) $10000 to be able to continue our day-to-day operations.
$10000 is a lot for a small business to have to accommodate without notice. Forking out more than $10000 on multiple occasions in a short time frame, can be crippling. We’re good people, good farmers, hard workers. We’re trying our best to adapt to the climate crises we’re already experiencing. The continuation or expansion of any fossil fuel project feels like a personal afront to mum and dad farmers. The continuation or expansion of any fossil fuel project is putting at risk the livelihood of mum and dad farmers and their children who fondly reminisce about a predictable season. The continuation or expansion of any fossil fuel project, including Ulan West Operations, is a foolishly ignorant step towards the of failure of food security in Australia.

I feel the mining makes a great contribution to the community

Please see attached document regarding my reasons for objecting to the planned expansion application of the Ulan Coal Mine by Glencore.
Kind regards,
Erica Nash

Mod 8 must be stopped.
Thanks Joanne

see attached

Stop destroying the land because of your greed.

I do not like coal mines. they suck. stop being greedy.

Coal mines are incredibly stupid, why would you put all this effort and money into something that will eventually run out? it is a stupid endeavour that its driving us further into a climate crisis. animals and surrounding peoples are being affected by the constant noise, fracking and lights. You are causing mass casualties in countries affected by mass climate events and polluting the air of the countries that burn the coal. You are causing thousands of deaths not just for the people working with the coal but also sending off the coal to Israel to help fuel the genocide of Palestinians.

I object to the Ulan Mod 8 Expansion
The massive emissions increase is very concerning in our time of climate change. Habitat and species will be lost. Cultural heritage, 71 Aboriginal sites, will be at risk. Threatening both major catchments , Hunter and Murray-Darling basins. It is a large expansion assessed as a modification to avoid community scrutiny.

I believe the project will bring benefits for the community in the form of employment and job opportunities in the Mudgee area keeping skilled workers in the town.

The number of jobs created and the money earnt by local workers will flow on to the community and help keep Mudgee the vibrant place it is.

The Ulan West mine has a good track record of safety and environmental responsibility. I believe that there is no great risk to allowing this expansion and to deny it would be a mistake that would harm Mudgee in terms of its economy and social cohesion as losing a big employer like Ulan West would put a lot of people out of work and force people to leave the area.

The Ulan west Mine also supports a lot of local community initiatives and organisations that will be better off if this extension is approved as the mine will be able to continue to provide support.

I object to the project on the following grounds:
1. Not a modification: The project is not a modification but should be assessed as a new project because of the additional infrastructure and it is outside the current mine boundary.
2. Significantly negative impact on threatened, including critically endangered biodiversity: The project Application concedes that approval would result in direct impacts of up to 101 ha of native vegetation, including 32 ha of NSW listed Box Gum critically endangered ecological community, and that it will also result in the removal of "some foraging habitat for listed species". In fact the loss of the healthy Box Gum critically endangered ecological community in the region and through the mine has not been properly assessed. The impact of the project on the regent honey eater and koala has not been properly assessed. The project would negatively impact upon threatened owl species.
3. Significant Loss of water flows: The project Application asserts that there will be no significant impacts to groundwater quality, that there will only be an increase in incremental draw down of groundwater during underground mining. In fact the project will result in a predicted additional loss of 26.5 million liters a year of flow to the Talbragar River, a major tributary of the Macquarie River, the loss of flow to the Goulburn River, and another six years of mine water discharge.
4. Significant Subsidence - The project Application acknowledges that it will result in subsidence impacting on vegetation, surface and groundwater water flow, landscape features like cliff-lines, as well as human made surfaces and structures. In fact the project will undermine and damage multiple properties and private bores, and disturb more than 1700 ha of sand cliff lines, caves and overhangs.
5. Unnecessary for economic and jobs development, or overstates its benefits: The project does not meaningfully substantiate its claims for direct and indirect jobs considering job shortages in the Central West.

Please see attachment

Please see my submission doc attached.

This is an important project to keep jobs in our community in turn also helping the township thrive