The Independent Planning Commission has heard more than 80 submissions on the Hume Coal Project and Berrima Rail Project over two days.
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Concerned residents and supporters of the coal project voiced their concerns or support on the Hume Coal Project to the IPC on July 12 and 13 via a video conference.
The IPC was chaired by Peter Duncan AM, alongside fellow commissioners Professor Alice Clark and Chris Wilson. Assisting the panel was Janet McKelvey and Jane Taylor.
Wingecarribee Shire Council interim administrator Viv May spoke on day one of the hearing. Mr May took the position of the formerly elected council to oppose the coal mine.
"Wingecarribee Shire Council has been concerned about the prospects of a new coal mine in the shire since 2010," he said.
"The council has adopted a policy of opposition to any new coal mining because it was concerned over the potential impacts on groundwater, water catchments, agricultural land and tourism.
"In 2016 the council reaffirmed this position, declaring the shire as a coalmine-free shire, and placing signage for this declaration at the shire's entry points.
"The reports show a high level of impact on groundwater resources triggering Aquifer Interference Policy provisions across more than 90 bores. This is alarming and a strong indicator that this is the wrong region for a new coal mine.
Mr May said the Hume Coal project had a significant negative impact on the residents.
"For the past 11 years the threat of a new coal mine has caused considerable distress to some members of the community," he said.
"Residents have been well informed and well organised in campaigning against the proposal because of the potential impacts from a new mine. The community has organised campaigns, rallies, public meetings, information centres, public gatepost signage campaigns and petitions throughout the 11 years.
"This community's residents are not radical advocates. Rather, it includes farmers, business people, property owners, parents, grandparents, families, locals both short and long term, and people who just want to love this area and who want to protect it."
Landholder Ben Fitzsimmons said he was supportive of the Hume Coal Project.
"I'm speaking to you today as both a landholder in the local area, but also as an employee of the mining 10 industry," he said.
"I've grown up in regional New South Wales and I've seen firsthand mining, tourism, and agriculture coexist. I've worked in the region for the past 10 years on several projects, starting my career out as a geologist."
Mr Fitzsimmons said the Southern Highlands had a long history of mining, with the first iron ore mined and smelted in Australia right there in Mittagong.
"The iron ore mined in Mittagong was used to produce steel with the remnants of the Fitz Roy Ironworks preserved beneath the local shopping centre in Mittagong," he said.
"Iron ore is now one of our biggest and one of the nation's primary exports and generates billions of dollars of economic activity in Australia, albeit thousands of kilometres away from the industry's humble beginnings right there in the Southern Highlands.
"The Hume Coal Project is not a new industry for this region. Mining has coexisted in the Southern Highlands for over a century.
"This has the potential to create hundreds of new local jobs for the region, supporting the local economy grow and prosper for many years to come and I would consider this is more important now than ever."
Belangalo resident Pamela Wright spoke on day two of the hearing.
Ms Wright said the proposed coal mine under her property would damage her bore in the construction of the mine and would damage the environment.
"Today, I would like you to consider my plea as an ordinary Joe, a landowner, and someone who would like to leave this place perhaps a little richer than when I found it," she said.
"Approving a new coal mine, in my opinion, is madness, particularly when it risks structural damage to the aquifer, plus the risk to Sydney's water, as Hume proposes to pump their washed coal sludge back into the mine.
"During the recent drought, it was tough living on the land, seeing our dams dry up, watching the wildlife venture out from the safety of the bush to drink in the evenings from the constantly refreshed stock's water troughs fed by the bore.
"Water is precious, and it should not be wasted washing coal."
The panel also heard from Andrew Davey from the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union on day two.
Mr Davey said Hume Coal was committed to training and recruiting local workers, and operational employees were required to live in the Southern Highlands and immediate surrounds.
"The Hume Coal Project will produce coal for export and domestic steelmaking and other industrial uses. Most importantly, it will create well-paid long-term local jobs," he said.
"This project will create 400 jobs due to the construction phase and 300 ongoing coal mining jobs. Jobs of this number and quality are a game-changer in the region like the Southern Highlands.
"These jobs would generally nearly $1 billion - to be precise, $922 million in wages alone - during the life of the mine."
Bundanoon resident Gus Johnson told the Southern Highland News that the panel should look at the Tahmoor coal mine and take heed.
"The Tahmoor coal mine has already cracked, drained and mostly destroyed the Tahmoor lakes and it has cracked the Avon River," he said.
Mr Johnson said jobs shouldn't be the only reason why mining should be considered.
"If jobs are the only criteria and this is the only jobs project we can come up with, how about we reopen our asbestos mines?" he said.
"Surely there are good-paying jobs there too.
"Progress has got to be safe responsible and look to the future, '30 pieces of silver' hardly qualifies as a good project."
Residents have until 5 pm Friday, July 23, 2021, to make a written submission via the IPCN Have Your Say portal.
A decision will be made after all submissions have been received.
Have your say on the Hume Coal Project
Vera Demertzis
Journalist at the Southern Highland News covering council yarns and community news. Got a tip or a story to tell? Email vera.demertzis@southernhighlandnews.com.au or call on 0427 250 908.
Journalist at the Southern Highland News covering council yarns and community news. Got a tip or a story to tell? Email vera.demertzis@southernhighlandnews.com.au or call on 0427 250 908.
