Speakers at the New South Wales Planning Assessment Commission public meeting on Thursday highlighted several social impacts from the Wilpinjong coal mine development.
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One issue raised by a couple of speakers included the decline of Wollar’s community and its Rural Fire Service.
In 2013 the Wollar brigade became unable to consistently man its vehicle fleet and had to merge with Cooks Gap. The Wollar brigade’s membership more than halved as people were “bought out” by Peabody Energy and moved away from the area.
At Thursday’s public meeting former deputy captain of the Wollar brigade, Bruce Hughes, said he had been a member of the community since the 1980s and was in the role for 20 years.
“Peabody Energy became the region’s largest land owner,” he said.
Mr Hughes, who lives 15 kilometres from the mine, said he is now one hour’s drive to the Cooks Gap fire station and the system may be stretched should a major fire break out in the region.
“The mine says they have Rural Fire Service trained staff. I ask whether they would be allowed to be stretched from their work and help fight fires,” he said.
Ulan’s Colin Imrie said the Cooks Gap brigade was being filled by people who work for the coal mines but a problem was many of its current members were approaching their 70s.
'It is expected to lead to incremental increases in noise and dust emissions. However these emissions will remain within the criteria already set in Wilpinjong’s project approval.'
He also described Wilpinjong’s modification as “foolhardy venture” with “significant economic risks”.
Wollar resident of 30 years, Susan Schneider, said she has made several complaints about recurring offensive odours and noise but it was time spent waiting for responses that was hurting.
She described Wilpinjong Coal’s latest community factsheet on spontaneous combustion as “another WHS notice” and questioned whether the mine would remain compliant while removing a troublesome spoil pile.
The NSW Department of Planning and Environment said it has proposed a “substantive, stand-alone management plan to codify the identification and characterisation of carbonaceous materials which may be prone to spontaneous combustion, and to require appropriate monitoring and management of materials and sites which have the capacity to generate sponcom events.”
“The proposed modification is relatively minor in nature,” their report said.
“It is expected to lead to incremental increases in noise and dust emissions. However these emissions will remain within the criteria already set in Wilpinjong’s project approval.”
Wollar Progress Association’s Bev Smiles said at the meeting there were complaints to Wilpinjong even when they were being compliant.
“This is because the [operating] conditions themselves are inadequate,” she said.
Wilpinjong coal mine is asking for an increase run-of-mine production from 15 to 16 million tonnes of coal per annum.
In its Environmental Assessment Peabody Energy states it is seeking higher rates of run-of-mine coal production “to achieve equivalent product coal targets”.
Should the modification be approved there is likely to be an additional 800,000 bank cubic metres of waste rock production. It will also “provide operational flexibility to maintain Wilpinjong Coal’s competitive advantage as a low cost thermal coal producer.”
The company said the modification would not change its current open cut and contained infrastructure areas; its mine life; its saleable coal transported from site (currently about 12.5 million tonnes per annum); and its operational workforce.
