Environmental Vickery Coal Project Impact INTRODUCTION Statement SECTION 1

SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION Vickery Coal Project – Environmental Impact Statement

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION 1-1 1.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW 1-1 1.1.1 Purpose of this Report 1-1 1.1.2 Background 1-1 1.1.3 Project Summary 1-1 1.1.4 Site location and Tenure 1-3 1.1.5 Interaction with other Mining

Operations in the Vicinity of the Project 1-8 1.1.6 Proponent 1-8 1.2 DIRECTOR-GENERAL’S REQUIREMENTS 1-8 1.3 PROJECT CONSULTANTS 1-8 1.4 DOCUMENT STRUCTURE 1-10

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1-1 Director-General’s Requirements – Reference Summary Table 1-2 Content Requirements of an EIS – Clause 7 of Schedule 2 of the EP&A Regulation

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1-1 Regional Location Figure 1-2a Land Ownership – Mining Area Figure 1-2b Relevant Land Ownership List – Mining Area

Figure 1-3a Land Ownership – Private Haul Road and

Kamilaroi Overpass

Figure 1-3b Relevant Land Ownership List – Private Haul Road and Kamilaroi Highway Overpass

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 1 Director-General’s Requirements Attachment 2 Development Application Area and Real Property Descriptions Attachment 3 Relevant Environmental Planning Instruments

Attachment 4 Potential Interactions between the Project and Other Major Projects Attachment 5 Water Licensing Requirements Attachment 6 Community Information Attachment 7 Peer Review Letters

1-i Vickery Coal Project – Environmental Impact Statement

1 INTRODUCTION The relevance of the EPBC Act for the Project is discussed in Section 6.3.2. This document is an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Vickery Coal Project (the 1.1.2 Background Project). The Project would involve the development and operation of an open cut coal Development Consent for the Vickery Coal Mine mine and associated infrastructure. (formally known as the Namoi Valley Coal Project)

was originally granted in October 1986 by the NSW The Project would be located at the Vickery Coal Minister for Planning and Environment pursuant to Mine, approximately 15 kilometres (km) south-east section 101 of the EP&A Act. The proponent at the of and approximately 25 km north of time was Namoi Valley Coal Pty Ltd (a subsidiary of in (NSW) (Figure 1-1). Conzinc Riotinto of Australia [to later become The Project would be owned and operated by Rio Tinto Limited]). Whitehaven Coal Limited (Whitehaven).

Mining commenced in 1986 with a small Run-of-mine (ROM) coal from the Project would be underground operation which continued until March transported by road for processing at the 1991. Three minor modifications to the Whitehaven Coal Handling and Preparation Plant Development Consent were approved between (CHPP) located approximately 20 km to the south of 1987 and 1990. From 1991 to 1998 approximately the Vickery Coal Mine on the outskirts of Gunnedah 4 million tonnes (Mt) of coal was extracted using (Figure 1-1). open cut mining methods.

1.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW Mining operations at the Vickery Coal Mine ceased in 1998, when approval from the NSW Department 1.1.1 Purpose of this Report of Primary Industries (DPI) was granted to suspend operations and complete rehabilitation works This EIS has been prepared to accompany a on-site. Development Application made for the Project, in accordance with Part 4 of the NSW Environmental Rehabilitation activities at the open cut and waste Planning and Assessment Act, 1979 (EP&A Act). emplacement areas are now complete and the site is currently in care and maintenance. The Project was determined to be a “State Significant Development” to which Division 4.1 of Whitehaven acquired 100 percent (%) of Coal Part 4 of the EP&A Act applies in accordance with Lease (CL) 316 and Authorisation (AUTH) 406 from the State Environmental Planning Policy (State and Rio Tinto Limited in January 2010. Regional Development) 2011 (State and Regional Development SEPP). 1.1.3 Project Summary

This EIS considers the potential environmental The proposed life of the Project is 30 years. impacts of the Project in accordance with clauses 6 and 7 in Schedule 2 of the NSW Environmental The main activities associated with the development Planning and Assessment Regulation, 2000 (EP&A of the Project are listed below: Regulation) and the Director-General’s Requirements (DGRs) issued by the NSW • Development and operation of an open cut Department of Planning and Infrastructure (DP&I) mine within CL 316, AUTH 406, Mining Lease on 19 January 2012 (Attachment 1). The DGRs (ML) 1471, Mining Lease Application (MLA) 1, were issued in accordance with clause 3 of MLA 2 and MLA 3. Schedule 2 of the EP&A Regulation. A summary of the DGRs is provided in Section 1.2. • Use of conventional mining equipment, haul trucks and excavators to remove up to The Project was determined to be “not a controlled 4.5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of ROM action if undertaken in a particular manner” by the coal and approximately 48 million bank cubic Commonwealth Minister for Sustainability, metres (Mbcm) of waste rock per annum from Environment, Water, Population and Communities the planned open cut. (Commonwealth Minister) under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999 (EPBC Act) on 17 May 2012.

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Vickery Coal Project – Environmental Impact Statement

• Placement of waste rock (i.e. overburden and • Realignment of the southern extent of interburden/partings) within external Braymont Road to the south of the open cut. emplacements to the west and east of the • Construction of an approximately 1 km long planned open cut (i.e. Western Emplacement section of private haul road (including an and Eastern Emplacement) and within overpass over the Kamilaroi Highway) mined-out voids. between Blue Vale Road and the Whitehaven • Construction and use of a Mine Infrastructure CHPP (referred to as the private haul road and Area (MIA), including on-site coal crushing, Kamilaroi Highway overpass). screening and handling facilities to produce • Ongoing exploration, monitoring and sized ROM coal, workshops, offices and rehabilitation activities. services. • Construction and use of other associated • Transport of ROM coal by haulage trucks to infrastructure, equipment and mine service the Whitehaven CHPP on the outskirts of facilities. Gunnedah (approximately 20 km to the south

of the Project open cut) for processing. Approximately 135 Mt of ROM coal would be mined • Use of an on-site mobile crusher for coal from the open cut during the life of the Project. crushing and screening of up to Mining operations would be conducted up to 150,000 tonnes (t) of domestic specification 24 hours per day, seven days per week. coal per annum for direct collection by customers at the Project site. 1.1.4 Site location and Tenure • Use an on-site mobile crusher to produce up to approximately 90,000 cubic metres (m3) of The Vickery Coal Mine is located within CL 316, gravel materials per annum for direct collection however, the Project mining area would extend into by customers at the Project site. three MLA areas (MLA 1, MLA 2 and MLA 3) as well as the Canyon Coal Mine ML 1417 (Figure 1-2a). • Construction and use of a water supply bore, and a surface water extraction point on the Relevant land ownership information for parcels of bank of the and associated pump land associated with the Project mining area is and pipeline systems. provided on Figures 1-2a and 1-2b. • Construction and use of new dams, sediment basins, channels, dewatering bores and other The private haul road and Kamilaroi Highway water management infrastructure required to overpass would be located approximately 5 km west operate the mine. of Gunnedah, and would run parallel to the Kamilaroi Highway before crossing the highway • Construction and use of new soil stockpile immediately east of the existing Whitehaven CHPP areas, laydown areas and gravel/borrow areas. access road. The road corridor would be located on • Construction of a 66 kilovolt (kV)/11 kV both Crown and privately owned land. electricity sub-station and 11 kV electricity transmission line (ETL). Relevant land ownership information for parcels of land associated with the private haul road and • Transport of coarse rejects generated within Kamilaroi Highway overpass and surrounds is the Whitehaven CHPP via truck to the Project provided on Figures 1-3a and 1-3b. for emplacement within an in-pit emplacement area. The real property descriptions provided in support of the Development Application are provided in • Transport of tailings (i.e. fine rejects) Attachment 2. generated within the Whitehaven CHPP via

truck to the Project for emplacement within The Project mining area is located within both the co-disposal storage areas in the open cut Gunnedah Local Government Area (LGA) and the and/or disposal in existing off-site licensed LGA. The private haul road and Kamilaroi facilities (e.g. the Brickworks Pit). Highway overpass is located wholly within the • Realignment of sections of Blue Vale Road, Gunnedah LGA. A description of the land zoning Shannon Harbour Road and Hoad Lane to the which applies to the Project is provided in east and south of the open cut. Attachment 3.

1-3 B o 6 The ag 83 4 83 )" 1 1 67 67 67 68 221 94 L 4 Callandar 1 221 80 1 1 221 94 95 Willows 80 82 )" 45 44 44 1 1 4 83 1 1 67 221 221 45 65 67 65 65 1 )" 221 7 Retreat Penryn 65 67 )" 221 85 86 65 67 Roseglass 86 88 1 1 ek 67 )" 80 88 88 )" 1 re )" 4 C )" 4 88 89 221 4 reek 1 n 4 87 )" Yarrah )" )" Bungalow gle C ea 221 221 118 4 88 Braymont 89 rag W 89 65 le D 1 )" 118 )" Kilmarnock rigg 1 95 80 1 D 1 1 4 4 )" 1 95 )" 1 87 )" Costa 88 Gundawarra Silkdale 1 )" 118 1 1 Vale 87 87 Whitehaven ! 221 )" 88 )" Croydon 87 89 1 Property Under Contract 120 1 120 1 Merton)" Woodland 87 87 4 1 121 )" 46 )" 1 1 L1 1 87 M 122 87 1 )" )" 122 122 122 88 Canyon 1 Will-gai 116 4 122 88 122 MLA 2 4 122 122 122 Coal Mine 1 1 ML 1662 )" Glenroc 1 122 (Under Closure) MLA 1 )" 1 122 1 96 4 1 ML 1620 122 122 122 ML 32 123 88 88 1471 1 1 " 136 1 1 ) Yarrari 122 1 CL 316 123 122 122 1 )" 123 1 1 Wilga 1 Ç 123 123 1 1 1 1 AUTH 406 Rocglen 123 1 123 T VICKERY STATE FOREST Coal )" 137 ho 1 1 Belah 123 4 mp 1 so 1 Mine 1 ns 1 97 138 )" L 124 )" 1 1 Broadwater a )" NAM )" 32 )" 1 go OI R 1 1 1 1 1 123 123 137 Milchengowrie on Undoolya IVER 1 Ç )" " 125 1 1 ) 125 4 Vickery 125

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4 C 98 Erinvale 127 U 139 n A 125 1 1 o 1 127 nn 140 127 ha 123 138 127 127 1 3 1 S 98 138 127 127 127 )" 127 127 Stratford 127 127 1 139 127 127 127 1 127 127 1 1 )" 94 138 127 1 Roseberry 123 140 Gu 127 127 LEGEND 140 llig 127 127 98 123 al 140 La 98 Surrey 138 goo 133 127 3 Tenment Boundary 4 133 n LA )" 99 139 128 133 )" M 123 Clinton Long Way 1 146 )" 1 100 Indicative Mining Lease Application Area 128 Kurrumbede 1 140 133 )" 140 4 1 1 Round 123 128 )"133 1 1 99 99 Whitehaven ROM Coal Road Transport Route 146 146 130 133 146 146 128 144 130 1 )" Carlton 143 )" Dennison 1 Whitehaven Owned Land )" 141 131 134 144 1 123 123 " 131)" 123 214 144 ) )" Lanreef 1 )" State Forest4 of NSW 144 )" 132 Wundurra 123 142 132)" 123 146 )" 144 141 4 N 1 Crown Land 146 146 147 1 1 1 104 123 144 3 A 1 108 101 102 M 1 1 1 1 1 103 ") 1 1 104 Private Dwelling 1 O 109 147 147 1 214 147 1 I )" 1 1 ") 1 104 Mine-owned Dwelling R 4 147 1 108 147 1 I 4 104 147 4 V 147 1 1 ") )" E Approved Dwelling Site 1 R 1 )" Braemar 4 1 )" 123 D 1 1 1 108 Brolga 214 e 1 1 107 107 01234 ad 147 )" 1 1 108 153 1 1 1 108 )" 146 m )" 103 )" ans 1 153 Colstoun 108 106 147 Ingleburn 104 Kilometres G )" 1 )" Avona 101 ul 111 108 ly 108 )" Wilgamere Source: Department of Lands (2010); DECC (2011); 147 149 152 1 9 214 108 153 1 108 108 180 181 Whitehaven (2012) and LPI Title Search 195 147 153 150 149 (Sept 2010 & July 2011) 160 150 181 105 147 108 208 105 152 153 180 160 160 154 )" VICKERY COAL PROJECT 160 150 154 154 111 Coulston 160 4 108 108 150 213 195 160 151 154 )" 182 FIGURE 1-2a 160 154 174 160 160 150 154 183 160 174 Nayla 183 160 )" 111 180 Land Ownership - 183 160 160 150 155 154 154 160 176 176 177 Mining Area 161 160 160 160 150 159 154 154 182 183 160 151 154 174 180 183 161 161 160 160 147 159 158 169 174 177 177 177 187 180 183 WHC-10-03_EIS_Sect 1_201G REFERENCE REFERENCE No. LANDHOLDER No. LANDHOLDER

1 Whitehaven Coal Mining Pty Ltd 128 GA & TJ Mcilveen 3 Council 130 HM Cassidy 4 The State of New South Wales 131 BJ & DP Keeler 6 Council 132 EJ & CA Hannan 7 The Council of the Shire of Namoi 133 GA Mcilveen 9 The Commissioner for Railways 134 TB Roberts 32 State Forests of NSW 136 EF Darley 39 DV Gillham 137 AC & GT Carrigan 44 RR&PLCrosby 138 AC Carrigan 45 RP & RD Mcgregor 139 KL & SR Crawford 65 TR Hall & AI Myers Johnson 140 DA & JE Watt 67 RL & KA Penrose 141 DM & AM Heinemann 68 PG & IL Capel 142 TB & A Roberts 78 JM & NM Mckechnie 143 SL Johns 79 KD Gillham 144 EF & JT Darley 80 A D Watson Holdings Pty Ltd 146 GC Carrigan 82 EC&JEClarke 147 TJ & C Loveridge 83 RP Mcgregor 149 PJ Loveridge 85 Kilmarnock (Boggabri) Pty Ltd 150 TJ Loveridge 86 PJ Watson Holdings Pty Ltd 151 LG Sims 87 DS Riley 152 CJ Sims 88 MJ & JH Maunder 153 RG & HK Mansfield 89 KA&CBlanch 154 MM & SM Dawson 94 RJ & A Barnes 155 M & GO Jensen 95 CW & MJ Harmse 157 IK, KD, PRB & JE Mcarthur 96 GJ Rennick 158 BC Martin & LD Curran 97 RS & GJ Rennick 159 IE Sims 98 RS Rennick 160 RS Blackmore 99 WN & KE Sales 161 PRB& JE Mcarthur 100 C Mckillop Laurie 168 GW & GN Thibault 101 WF & SE Nicholls 169 WJ & SL Evans 102 JC & JE Meyers 174 Selkirk Pastoral Co Pty Limited 103 KG Perrett 176 WM & KL Campbell 104 DA & RK Torrens 177 South Weroona Pty Limited 105 JC & MA King 178 BA & D Edwards 106 MJ Pickett 180 RJ & PF Fitzpatrick 107 JC Wise & LD Miller 181 M & TC Clifton 108 AC Wannan & PM Winter 182 DJ & DA Shaw 109 Namoi Valley Coal Pty Limited 183 GL Knapman 111 RB Kelly 184 JR & JE Floyd 112 NP & SA Jackson (Under Contract) 187 BJ, LA, AJ & MA Thibault 116 CR&CPStewart Investments Pty Limited 195 DW & KA Rolinson 118 AD Watson 197 CAL & CG Boileau 120 Nambarloo Pty Limited 199 RP & SM Urquhart 122 Nandewar Pty Limited 200 DK & BM Swain 123 Primeag Australia Limited 208 O Gremmer 124 JP Carrigan 211 LJ Carrigan 125 S & AJ Maunder 213 Damilabe Pty Ltd 127 JK Barlow 214 GC Carrigan GM Carrigan

VICKERY COAL PROJECT FIGURE 1-2b Relevant Land Ownership List - Mining Area Source: LPI (2010 & 2011)

WHC-10-03 EIS Sect 1_001E 246 4 4 241

244 289 4 1 247 290

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d oa 290 R 247 )" Wir ale ringulla Ro 292 V 1 ad ue )" Bl 3 )" 284 )" 4 (Lot 7052 DP 1119794) 285 )" 248 )" 249 Wirringulla )" )" )"

(Lot 7010 286 DP 1074926 Cedar Vale 250 )" )" 4 )" 223 R 291 )" IV 1 E 224 4 R

Ol d B lu K e V AM a Olive Veiw I le )" LA Ro RO ad W I ER RIS H CR IG 294 EEK HW 274 - 1 A MU Y 287 )" NGI NDI Fingal R )" AILW 275 AY 4 1 222 )" 276 LEGEND 225 0 Existing Whitehaven Haul Route )" Whitehaven Coal Handling and Whitehaven Owned Land Preparation Plant 226 Portland Bindi Crown Land )" )" 277 288 )" ") 1 Private Dwelling ") 3 Mine-owned Dwelling 227 278 3 279 )" 1 0 0.15 0.3 0.45 0.6 238 235 237 228 235 256 Kilometres 3 252 Source: Deparment of Lands (2010); Decc ( 2011); )" Vathella Whitehaven (2012)281 and LPI Title Search 232 )" 255 1 (Sept 2010 & July 2011) 231 259 VICKERY COAL PROJECT283 230 )" 4 233 FIGURE 1-3a 280 234 257 258 260Land Ownership261 262 - Torrens Road 222 4 229 Private Haul263 Road and 282 253 254 264 265Kamilaroi266 Highway267 Overpass4 254 268 269 WHC-10-03_EIS_Sect 1_202C REFERENCE No. LANDHOLDER

1 Whitehaven Coal Mining Pty Ltd 3 Gunnedah Shire Council 4 The State of New South Wales 222 Wallaroy Crescent Pty Limited Chamberlain Avenue Pty Limited 223 RW Tibbs 224 TD & PA Burns, GR & KL Harris 225 JC & DL Wilkinson 226 CJ & WD Jaeger 227 PA & DL Rankin 228 RS & CA Brown 229 North West Projects (NSW) Pty Limited 230 WP Small 231 JB & DA Tibbett 232 CBC Finlay & KM Hunt 233 GS&HAFinlay 234 Pryde and Scott Investments Pty Limited 235 Pryde's Tucker Bag Pty Ltd 237 Manildra Flour Mills Retirement Fund Pty Limited 238 CJ & S Beattie Pty Limited 241 CJ & PA Waters 243 RT Dugan 244 PJ & D Fuller 246 RO & AF Cochrane 247 BD Kelly 248 SV Wicks 249 KB Hill 250 PJ Hedges 252 Blackjack Carbon Pty Limited 253 TM Bruce 254 AG, KJ, MA & SL Kennedy 255 Mackellar Equipment Hire Pty Ltd 256 GH & TG Foster 257 KJR Barnard & JE Niquet 258 North West Scrap Metal Pty Limited 259 OD & BJ Dennis 274 TB & AK Donoghue 275 JI Knebel 276 BA & K Edmonston 277 EC Riordan 278 VV Snape 279 PD Jones 284 RI & JE Horne 285 WH & SGBA Heath 286 RF & CC Wall 287 SM & RL Middleton 288 MJ Furner & A Ogi 289 RN Thomson 290 Gunnible Pastoral Company Pty Limited 291 PA Ryman 292 RI & JR Paterson

VICKERY COAL PROJECT FIGURE 1-3b Relevant Land Ownership List - Private Haul Road and Source: LPI (2010 & 2011) Kamilaroi Highway Overpass WHC-10-03 EIS Sect 1_001B Vickery Coal Project – Environmental Impact Statement

1.1.5 Interaction with other Mining 1.1.6 Proponent Operations in the Vicinity of the Project The Project is being developed by Whitehaven. The contact details for Whitehaven are: Other operating Gunnedah Basin coal mining operations of potential relevance to Project Whitehaven Coal Limited interactions include: Post Office Box 600 GUNNEDAH NSW 2380 • the Canyon Coal Mine site (100% Whitehaven Telephone: (02) 6742 4337 owned) located immediately north of the Project (operations at this mine ceased in The registered and principal office for Whitehaven 2009); is:

• the Rocglen Coal Mine (100% Whitehaven Whitehaven Coal Limited owned) located approximately 5 km east of the Level 25, 259 George Street Project; SYDNEY NSW 2000 • the Tarrawonga Coal Mine (70% Whitehaven Telephone: (02) 8507 9700 owned) located approximately 10 km north of the Project; 1.2 DIRECTOR-GENERAL’S • the Boggabri Coal Mine located approximately REQUIREMENTS

12 km north of the Project; The DGRs for the Project were issued by the DP&I • the Maules Creek Coal Project (100% on 19 January 2012 (Attachment 1). A summary of Whitehaven owned) located approximately the DGRs is provided in Tables 1-1 and 1-2. 20 km north of the Project; Tables 1-1 and 1-2 also provide cross references to the relevant sections of the EIS where the DGRs • the Narrabri Coal Mine (70% Whitehaven are addressed. owned) located some 40 km west-northwest of

the Project; and 1.3 PROJECT CONSULTANTS • the Sunnyside Coal Mine (100% Whitehaven owned) located approximately 25 km south of This EIS was prepared by Resource Strategies Pty the Project. Ltd with specialist input provided by the following organisations: Whitehaven acquired the Vickery South Exploration Licence (EL) 7407 (known as the Vickery South • Whitehaven (project design, alternatives and Project), located immediately to the south of the justification, preliminary hazard analysis, Project, in July 2012. Whitehaven is currently background data, resource economics, reviewing the exploration data and conducting consultation, rehabilitation, final landform, feasibility studies to determine the development agricultural impact assessment and Statement potential of the Vickery South area. As only of Commitments); exploration activities are currently proposed to be • conducted within EL 7407, no cumulative impacts UGM and Enginecom (mine scheduling); associated with Vickery South have been identified • Heritage Computing Pty Ltd (groundwater for the Project. assessment);

The Watermark Project, owned by Shenhua, and • Groundwater Exploration Services Pty Ltd the Caroona Coal Project, owned by BHP Billiton, (groundwater testwork); are located approximately 60 km and 75 km south • Evans & Peck Pty Ltd (surface water of Gunnedah respectively. assessment);

Descriptions of Project potential interactions and • Fluvial Systems Pty Ltd (geomorphologic potential cumulative impacts with these and other review); nearby mining operations are provided in • Attachment 4 and, where relevant, Section 4. Wilkinson Murray (Sydney) Pty Limited (noise and blasting assessment); • PAEHolmes (air quality assessment and greenhouse gas assessment);

1-8 Vickery Coal Project – Environmental Impact Statement

Table 1-1 Director-General’s Requirements – Reference Summary*

Summary of Director-General’s Requirements EIS Reference General Requirements The EIS must include: • Executive Summary. Front of EIS • Description of the Project. Section 2 • A need for the proposed development. Section 6.6.1 • Justification of the Project including efficiency of coal resource recovery, mine Section 6.6 safety and environmental protection. • Likely staging of Project development. Section 2 • Opportunities for co-operation and efficiencies with existing, approved and Attachment 4 proposed mining operations in the vicinity of the site. • Likely interactions between the Project and existing, approved and proposed Section 4 and Attachment 4 mining operations in the vicinity of the site. • Plans of proposed Building Works. Section 2 • Consideration of relevant environmental planning instruments. Section 6, Attachment 3, and wherever relevant in the Main EIS and Appendices • Risk assessment of potential environmental impacts of the Project, identifying Section 4 and key areas for further assessment. Appendices M and N • Description of existing environment, assessment of potential impacts, Sections 4, 5 and 7 description of measures and monitoring programs to manage risks to the environment. • A summary of proposed environmental management and monitoring measures. Section 7 Key Issues • Land Resources. Section 4.3 and Appendices G and K • Water Resources. Sections 4.4 and 4.5, Appendices A and B and Attachment 5 • Biodiversity. Sections 4.9 and 4.10 and Appendix E • Heritage. Sections 4.13 and 4.14 and Appendices I and J • Air Quality. Section 4.7 and Appendix D • Greenhouse Gases. Section 4.8 and Appendix D • Noise, Vibration and Blasting. Section 4.6 and Appendix C • Traffic and Transport. Section 4.11 and Appendix F • Visual. Section 4.12 and Appendix H • Waste. Section 2.11 and Appendix L • Hazards. Section 4.17 and Appendix N • Social and Economic. Sections 4.15, 4.16 and 6.6 and Appendix K • Rehabilitation. Section 5 and Appendix G Consultation Requirements • Describe consultation with relevant local, State or Commonwealth government Section 3.1 and Attachment 6 authorities, service providers, community groups or affected landowners. • The consultation process, and the issues raised during this process, must be Section 3.1 described in the EIS. * The complete version of the DGRs is presented in Attachment 1.

1-9 Vickery Coal Project – Environmental Impact Statement

Table 1-2 Content Requirements of an EIS – Clause 7 of Schedule 2 of the EP&A Regulation

Summary of Clause 7 of Schedule 2 of the EP&A Regulation EIS Reference The EIS must include: • Summary of the EIS. Executive Summary • Objectives of the Project. Sections 1.1 and 6.6.1 • Analysis of any feasible alternatives to the Project, including the consequences of not Section 6.6.2 carrying out the Project. • Description of the Project. Section 2 • Description of the environment likely to be affected by the Project. Section 4 • The likely impact on the environment of the Project. Section 4 • Description of the measures proposed to mitigate any adverse effects of the Project on Section 4 the environment. • A list of any approvals that must be obtained under any other Act or law before the Section 6 Project may lawfully be carried out. • Compilation (in a single section of the EIS) of the measures proposed to mitigate any Section 7 adverse effects of the Project on the environment. • Justification of the Project, having regard to biophysical, economic and social Section 6.6 considerations, including the principles of ecologically sustainable development (ESD).

• Niche Environment and Heritage Pty Ltd 1.4 DOCUMENT STRUCTURE (offset flora surveys, flora assessment, vertebrate and aquatic fauna assessment); This EIS comprises a main text component and supporting studies. The main text component • GTA Consultants and Halcrow (road transport consists of: assessment);

• McKenzie Soil Management Pty Ltd Section 1 Provides an introduction to the Project (agricultural resource assessment and and the EIS. agricultural impact assessment); Section 2 Describes the components and • Urbis Pty Ltd (visual assessment); stages of the Project. • Landskape (Aboriginal cultural heritage Section 3 Describes the consultation assessment); undertaken in relation to the EIS and ongoing community involvement. • Heritage Management Consultants Pty Ltd (non-Aboriginal heritage assessment); Section 4 Details the environmental assessment for the Project including a description • Gillespie Economics (socio-economic of the existing environment, an assessment and agricultural impact assessment of potential impacts and assessment); a description of measures that would be implemented to avoid, minimise, • Geo-Environmental Management Pty Ltd mitigate, offset, manage and/or (geochemistry assessment); monitor the potential impacts of the • Safe Production Solutions Pty Ltd Project. (environmental risk assessment); Section 5 Describes the rehabilitation and mine • Lloyd Consulting Pty Ltd (land contamination closure strategies for the Project. assessment); and Section 6 Outlines the planning framework and • Ashurst (legal review). statutory provisions relevant to the Project, describes the Project alternatives, details ESD considerations and provides a Project justification.

1-10 Vickery Coal Project – Environmental Impact Statement

Section 7 Provides a summary of the proposed environmental mitigation, management, monitoring and reporting, and specific environmental commitments in relation to the Project. Section 8 Lists documents referenced in Sections 1 to 7 of this EIS. Section 9 Defines abbreviations, acronyms and terms used in Sections 1 to 7 of this EIS.

Attachments to the main text are also provided as follows:

Attachment 1 Director-General’s Requirements. Attachment 2 Development Application Area and Real Property Descriptions. Attachment 3 Relevant Environmental Planning Instruments. Attachment 4 Potential Interactions between the Project and Other Major Projects. Attachment 5 Water Licensing Requirements. Attachment 6 Community Information. Attachment 7 Peer Review.

Appendices A to O contain supporting documentation, including a number of specialist reports:

Appendix A Groundwater Assessment. Appendix B Surface Water Assessment. Appendix C Noise and Blasting Assessment. Appendix D Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Assessment. Appendix E Ecological Assessment. Appendix F Road Transport Assessment. Appendix G Agricultural Impact Statement. Appendix H Visual Assessment. Appendix I Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment. Appendix J Non-Aboriginal Heritage Assessment. Appendix K Socio-Economic Assessment. Appendix L Geochemistry Assessment. Appendix M Environmental Risk Assessment. Appendix N Preliminary Hazard Analysis. Appendix O Land Contamination Assessment.

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