The amendment to the Mod 6 proposal, in response to issues raised by Government agencies, has shifted longwall mining back from Mona Creek, a tributary of the Talbragar River in the Murray-Darling Basin. This has reduced predicted coal extraction from 25 million tonnes to 16 million tonnes. However, the impacts of the project are still too great, cannot be justified and should not be approved. Ulan Mine is currently producing little more than half the approved annual extraction rate.

The Federal Independent Expert Science Committee (IESC) made significant comments:

"Modelled predictions of water interception from Ulan Mine have consistently underestimated impacted volumes. The Independent Expert Scientific Committee has limited confidence in the groundwater model used to predict impacts from this mine on surface and groundwater."

• The Glencore Ulan Coal Mine crosses under the Great Dividing Range and takes water from both the Hunter River catchment and the Murray Darling Basin.
• This mine already has approval to extract 20 million tonnes of coal per year until 2033. Modification 6 plans for an additional 16.3 million tonnes of coal to be extracted until 2035.
• This mine is predicted to take over 10,500 million litres (4,400 Olympic swimming pools) of water from this sensitive landscape by 2027.
• Groundwater is the key source of baseflows to rivers in this region.
• Water impacts from underground mining will continue for thousands of years into the future, if not forever, because groundwater systems are destroyed through drainage and collapse into the underground void.
• The amended Ulan Modification 6 will still damage an additional 634 hectares of landscape through subsidence, water, biodiversity, and cultural heritage impacts.
• There is no economic analysis of the impacts of climate change. There is no justification for this project to be approved.
• Glencore is producing 11.3 million tonnes of coal at the Ulan Mine when the current approval allows for up to 20 million tonnes per year.

Handy Links:

Glencore’s Amended Report for Mod 6
IESC Mod 6 comments
Glencore's Response to Submissions
Glencore Mod 6 Department of Planning Page
MDEG Response to Glencore
DPE-Water additional advice on Ulan Mod 6
Department of Planning and Environment 'requesting additional information'