Appendix B

Community Consultation & Property Title Information

Bloomfield Colliery Completion of Mining and Rehabilitation

Part 3A Environmental Assessment

November 2008

APPENDIX B

Lot and DP Descriptions for Bloomfield Colliery Project Application Area

LOT DP PART OF BLOCK COMMENTS

36 755260 All

35 755260 All

34 755260 All

48 755260 Part

30 755260 All

29 755260 All

28 755260 All

27 755260 All

26 755260 Part

43 755260 Part

25 755260 Part

24 755260 Part

18 755237 Part

19 755237 Part

20 755237 Part

23 755237 Part

29 755237 Part

13 241097 Part

1 136865 Part

3 1045720 Part

31 755237 Part

4 241097 Part Pipe line

5 241097 Part Pipe line

1 617909 Part Pump station

1 722210 All Road

1 42349 Part Roads

6 241097 Part Pipe line

Council Roads

Crown Road

Hunter Water Pipe line

Community Consultation Brochure Distributed during EA Process   

Bloomfield Colliery Completion of Mining and Rehabilitation

Part 3A Environmental Assessment

November 2008

Bloomfield Open Cut – Part 3A Project Application: Community Consultation Bulletin 1 18/04/07

Newsletter One

CommunityInformation

Bloomfi eld Open Cut – Part 3A Project Application: Community Consultation Bulletin 1 18/04/07

The site has a long mining history and coal has been extracted by various means in the area since the mid 1800’s.

Bloomfi eld Open Cut Mine has been operating from 1962 to the present day. Bloomfi eld employs 66 people for

open cut and CHPP operations as well as administration and management.

There are suffi cient open cut coal reserves remaining within CCL761 to continue mining at the current rate for

approximately 10 years. Bloomfi eld currently produces at an average of 500,000 tonnes per annum of saleable

coal and mining will continue in a similar manner to the existing operation.

Bloomfi eld operates under “existing user” provisions of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979

(EP&A Act). Changes to that legislation in 2005 has provided an opportunity and framework for Bloomfi eld to

modernise consent for its future operations. Under these changes Bloomfi eld will also formalise its environmental

monitoring and reporting practises.

The EP&A Act was amended in 2005 by the addition of a new Part 3A to handle major projects and infrastructure.

Bloomfi eld Collieries is applying for consent to complete mining operations and rehabilitation work on their existing site.

Bloomfi eld Collieries Pty Limited

(Bloomfi eld) is an Australian owned,

family company that has been

operating on the same site since

1937. It is located south of East

Maitland, lying generally within the

area bounded by the New England

Highway, John Renshaw Drive and

Mt Vincent/Buchanan Road as

shown in red in Figure 1.

Introduction

This newsletter has been produced to

ensure that all neighbouring residents

and community in the local area are

informed of:

• the proposed project application;

• the process being followed with

respect to the environmental

assessment and the project application;

and

• how the residents and members of the

surrounding area can comment on the

project or obtain further information.

Bloomfi elds Main Offi ce at Four Mile Creek Road

Figure 1

Bloomfi eld Open Cut – Part 3A Project Application: Community Consultation Bulletin 1 18/04/07

It is under this new Part 3A that Bloomfi eld is applying for approval from the NSW Department of Planning for its

current and future operations.

Approval to continue use of the existing coal processing infrastructure, including the Coal Handling Preparation

Plant (CHPP) and rail loading facility is currently being applied for by the Abel Underground Mine project, proposed

by Donaldson Coal.

The Application Process

Figure 2

Topdressing operations on rehabilitation

Bloomfi eld’s application applies to the current and

future open cut mining operations that will occur

within the Project Application Area (PA) marked in

orange in Figure 2.

Bloomfi eld currently operates within Consolidated

Coal Lease 761 (CCL761), shown in mauve in

Figure 2

Part 3A of the EP&A Act requires the project to

complete an Environmental Assessment (EA),

including the identifi cation of key environmental

issues that will be addressed in the EA. Key

environmental issues are identifi ed through

the preparation of a Project Application with

Preliminary Assessment.

After key issues have been

determined, a more detailed

Environmental Assessment will be

undertaken.

To assist in identifying the

key environmental issues, an

Environmental Risk Assessment

has been prepared and a Risk

Register developed.

Bloomfi eld Open Cut – Part 3A Project Application: Community Consultation Bulletin 1 18/04/07

Past and Present Operations

The Rathluba underground mine was closed in May 1992. In

1962, a small open cut mine commenced operations using

bulldozers and tractor scrapers. The open cut has continued to

develop with the introduction of electric face shovels and rear

dump trucks, and the use of draglines to remove overburden

from 1986 to 1991. Recently the P&H 5700 Face Shovel was

replaced with an Hitachi EX 5500 Hydraulic Excavator.

Coal extracted from the Bloomfi eld lease is predominantly

thermal coal with some soft coking coal for the Asian export

market. All coal is transported by rail and exported through

the Port of Newcastle using existing coal processing and rail

loading infrastructure.

The Project

Operational staff at Bloomfi eld Open Cut

EX 5500 loading topsoil for stockpiling Future Operations

While it is planned to continue extraction of the economically

viable coal remaining within the PA, Bloomfi eld is not proposing

to change the general manner in which the coal is extracted from

current operations.

Operations related to the stockpiling and washing of coal and

the management of reject material has been addressed in the

Development Consent for the Abel Project, lodged with the NSW

Department of Planning in October, 2006.

Hours of Operation

Mining operations, rehabilitation and maintenance are carried out

24 hrs per day 7 days per week as required, and it is proposed to

continue this arrangement for future works.

Surface Facilities and Infrastructure

The major infrastructure components on site consist

of the following:

• Open cut workshop;

• Bathhouse facilities; and

• Water management systems, including drainage

structures, dams and mine recycling systems.

Existing infrastructure is well maintained and in

good order and as such is considered suffi cient for

the proposed life of mine. No construction of major

infrastructure is proposed as part of this application.

Semi-trailer used for Bloomfi ed washed coal c1940

Bloomfi eld Open Cut – Part 3A Project Application: Community Consultation Bulletin 1 18/04/07

Bloomfi eld has selected a team of specialist consultants to assist them with undertaking the various studies

required for the Environmental Assessment.

Preparation of the Environmental Assessment

5 year old tree plantings on rehabilitated spoil piles These include specialists in:

• Environmental risk assessment;

• Surface hydrology (water studies);

• Groundwater investigations;

• Air quality;

• Noise and vibration study;

• Ecology;

• Archaeology;

• Soils and land capability;

• Visual aspects;

• Socio-economic aspects;

• Greenhouse gas impacts; and

• Community consultation.

Each of these studies

will examine the existing

environment, proposed

completion of mining

operations and rehabilitation

and any impacts that may

occur. They will also include

any measures that will

be required to control or

reduce impacts. Information

provided by the community

on local issues is taken

into consideration in the

preparation of these studies.

S Cut rehabilitation of spoil piles

Bloomfi eld Open Cut – Part 3A Project Application: Community Consultation Bulletin 1 18/04/07

Further Information

If you have any comment on the project or wish to obtain further information please do not hesitate to contact

Mr Steve Dunn at Bloomfi eld Collieries. Steve may be contacted as follows:

Steve Dunn

General Manager Technical Services

THE BLOOMFIELD GROUP

Post PO Box 4

East Maitland NSW 2323

Telephone 61 2 4930 2623

Facsimile 61 2 4933 8940

Email sdunn@bloomcoll.com.au

To date Bloomfi eld has undertaken consultation with the owners of land within the PA, Local Government, State

Government Departments and other Statutory Bodies. An independently chaired Focus Group has been formed to

assist in guiding the Community Consultation process.

Bloomfi eld personnel will be visiting landowners in the immediate area outside of the PA to discuss the project and

answer any questions the community may have regarding the proposal. As specialist studies are completed the

results of these studies and any proposed controls will also be discussed.

A Bloomfi eld website is under fi nal construction. When completed information relating to this application will be

posted on the site. This will include:

• Community Newsletters

• The Project Application (when lodged)

• The various Environmental Assessments as listed earlier in this newsletter

The web address is www.bloomcoll.com.au and will be available in the near future.

Communication and Consultation