The Southern Highlands community will finally be able to have its say on the Hume Coal Project.
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The public exhibition period for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will begin on March 31.
Project manager Greig Duncan said the EIS was proof Hume Coal’s project could benefit the Highlands.
“The EIS proves the proposal will have minimal impact on the environment, yet create hundreds of real jobs for people in this region and across the state,” he said.
“All we’re asking is that members of the Highlands community get the facts, make up their own minds and have their say.”
Mr Duncan said the mine would be underground, not open cut, first workings only, not longwall and had nothing to do with coal seam gas.
“What it will do is create up to 400 jobs a year in construction and 300 full time positions during production.”
Along with information sessions about the proposal, Hume Coal will hold a series of online discussion forums which will run for a set length of time.
“We want to make information about our plans as accessible as we can to as many people we can, so people can ask questions and make up their own minds,” Mr Duncan said.
Water and air quality have been two of the main concerns raised in relation to the Hume Coal project but Mr Duncan said neither of these would be significantly affected by the mine.
“We want the community to look at the science and the evidence. The EIS proves the mine will have no effect on the quantity or quality of water supply for any community, in the Highlands or in Sydney,” he said.
“In full production the mine will use just one gigalitre of water a year.
“The studies also show the effect of the mine on existing air quality, even under the worst weather conditions, will be negligible and that means no threat to health.”
Highlanders can take part in the discussion and find more information about the Hume Coal Project at www.yoursay.humecoal.com.au
Anyone who wants to make a formal submission will need to go to the Department of Planning and Environment and make their submission through the Major Projects website.
Visit www.majorprojects.nsw.gov.au to make a formal submission.
Hume Coal plans to extract about 50 million tonnes of saleable coal from the Wongawilli Seam over 23 years.
The Hume Coal EIS will be on public exhibition for 60 days.
