The mine’s previous owners were issued with environmental assessment requirements for this application in 2009. That company then took a significant amount of time providing an environmental assessment that was adequate for public exhibition, in November 2012.

 Following exhibition, major concerns raised in submissions from both a number of key state agencies and community groups led the company to significantly revise its project and they did not provide this to the department until October 2013.

Wollongong Coal then took an additional six months to respond to further questions and concerns raised by agencies and independent experts engaged by the department.

 The company did not respond to additional issues until June 2014.  

Since this report was received the assessment process itself has taken approximately six months, includingmeeting Commonwealth requirements.

The department is of course concerned about jobs, but there is no room to cut corners in considering mining applications within the water catchment. 

The department is currently awaiting further information the mine is yet to provide, following the Planning Assessment Commission’s review of its application six months ago.

 Once this is received, and addresses the commission’s concerns, the community can be assured we willfinalise our assessment without delay. 

Marcus Ray, Deputy Secretary Planning Services, Department of Planning and Environment

SHELLHARBOUR City Council staff were subjected to criticism by the Joint Regional Planning Panel, who highlighted their inadequacies in the building application for the unwanted Hub project.  What hope do the ratepayers of the city have when we see this farce continue, given that the asset sales have failed?

Where is the $35million expected from these sales and how will they make up the shortfall? As the project cost continues to blow out, how does this Labor-controlled council expect to convince the state government to approve a massive loan?

The ratepayers of Shellharbour do not want or need this project. Council must take stock of the situation in order to protect the ratepayers’ position as this reckless financial path will destroy the council’s financial holdings and lead to the destruction of this local council.

Show us the money and stop the Hub.

Dennis Chalker, Shellharbour

IT amazes me that even though the state government has made it glaringly obvious that paper tickets will not be sold on our regional buses from January1, many pensioners are making no effort to sign up to the Opal card scheme. On the other hand, Opal are just as guilty of enthusiastic negligence in making any effort to sign pensioners up.

 I ask why the Centrelink services connection has not been enlisted to help pensioners over the Opal application hurdle. After all, it is a government card for use on a government-subsidised bus. We read that a High Court judge doesn’t even bother to own and use a computer. Many pensioners of that era feel exactly the same way.  You can’t blame them.

Dave Cox, Corrimal