APPENDIX H HISTORICAL HERITAGE ASSESSMENT Wilpinjong Extension Project Historical Heritage Assessment Prepared for Peabody Energy Australia Pty Ltd November 2015 Sydney | Central Coast | Illawarra | Armidale | Newcastle | Mudgee | Port Macquarie | Brisbane | Cairns Document control Niche Environment and Heritage Project no.: 1984 A specialist environmental and Project client: Resource Strategies on behalf of Peabody Energy heritage consultancy Australia Head Office Project office: Brisbane and Sydney Level 1, 19 Sorrell Street Parramatta NSW 2150 Document description: Historical Heritage Assessment for the proposed All mail correspondence to: Wilpinjong Extension Project PO Box 2443 Project Director: Jamie Reeves North Parramatta NSW 1750 Email: [email protected] Project Manager: Lydia Sivaraman Sydney Authors: Lydia Sivaraman 0488 224 888 Central Coast Internal review: Fiona Leslie, Cameron Harvey 0488 224 999 Document status: Rev1 Illawarra 0488 224 777 Document address: P:\Projects\1000s\1900s\1984 Wilpinjong Extension Project_Historical Heritage\ Armidale 0488 224 094 Local Government Area: Mid-Western Regional Council Newcastle 0488 224 160 Mudgee Document revision status 0488 224 025 Author Revision number Internal review Date issued Port Macquarie Lydia Sivaraman D02 Fiona Leslie 1/10/14 0488 774 081 Brisbane Lydia Sivaraman D03 Fiona Leslie 9/02/15 0488 224 036 Lydia Sivaraman D04 Cameron Harvey 19/02/15 Cairns 0488 284 743 Lydia Sivaraman D05 Lydia Sivaraman 2/4/15 Lydia Sivaraman Rev1 Cameron Harvey 16/11/15 © Niche Environment and Heritage, 2015 Copyright protects this publication. Except for purposes permitted by the Australian Copyright Act 1968, reproduction, adaptation, electronic storage, and communication to the public is prohibited without prior written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to Niche Environment and Heritage, PO Box 2443, North Parramatta NSW 1750, Australia, email: [email protected]. Any third party material, including images, contained in this publication remains the property of the specified copyright owner unless otherwise indicated, and is used subject to their licensing conditions. Cover photograph: Disused Shale Oil Mine. Source: Niche 2014. Wilpinjong Extension Project Historical Heritage Assessment i Executive summary _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Background Niche Environment and Heritage Pty Ltd was commissioned by Resource Strategies, on behalf of Wilpinjong Coal Pty Ltd, to undertake an historical heritage impact assessment of a proposed extension to the Wilpinjong Coal Mine (the Project), an existing open cut coal mine located 40 kilometres north-east of Mudgee, New South Wales (NSW). The aim of this assessment was to assess the potential impacts of the Project on historical heritage items located within the Project area and potential indirect impacts on any other proximal items. The objective was to satisfy the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements for such a study as part of an Environmental Impact Statement being prepared under Part 4 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. The method of assessment included desktop and field components. Desktop assessment included a search of registers, inventories and databases for heritage in NSW as well as primary and secondary historical source research and consultation with the local historical society and local historians. A contextual history for the local area was prepared to inform the significance assessment of any heritage items identified. Field assessment involved validation of potential heritage items through their physical inspection. Impact assessment Twenty four (24) potential historical items were identified within, or near, the Project area. Of these, twenty one (21) have been assessed to be items of local heritage significance. No cultural landscapes were identified within, or associated with, the Project area. One (1) historical heritage item, the Shale Oil Mine (Item 7.1) is located within open pit areas and will be directly impacted by the Project. One historical heritage item, the Road Embankment, (Item 7.4) may be impacted by the relocation of the 330 kilovolt (kV) TransGrid electricity transmission line (ETL). The Shale Oil Mine (Item 7.1), the Road Embankment (Item 7.4), Pine Park (Item 7.5) and William Carr’s Hut (Item 7.11) could experience indirect impacts from blasting. Recommendations It is recommended that proactive management strategies be employed to ensure that any impacts are avoided, where practical. Historical heritage items in the Project area should only be demolished if they are in a direct impact area. A qualified archaeologist should undertake archival recording of all the features of the Shale Oil Mine (Item 7.1) prior to the commencement of any works associated with Open Cut Pit 8. Archaeological test excavation should occur at the Caretaker’s cottage site, Shale Oil Mine Complex, Slate Gully prior to the commencement of any works associated with Open Cut Pit 8. Damage to the Road Embankment (Item 7.4) should be avoided by the relocation of the 330kV ETL TransGrid during the detailed design, if practical. Archival recording of William Carr’s Hut should be undertaken by a qualified archaeologist (if not already undertaken or proposed by Moolarben Coal-the item has been identified in Moolarben reports as Farm Site, Portion 29). Indirect impacts from blasting have the potential to impact on the heritage values of William Carr’s Hut. (Archival recordings of the Road Embankment [Item 7.4] and Pine Park [Item 7.5] were undertaken in 2006 by Wilpinjong Coal, presented in Wilpinjong Coal Project Non-Aboriginal Heritage Archival Record). Wilpinjong Extension Project Historical Heritage Assessment ii The former St James Church (Item 7.24) is not significant for its heritage values. Numerous depressions near the item appear to be associated with land clearance. It is considered unlikely there are unmarked graves given the proximity of the Church to St Luke’s Anglican Church Cemetery and the Wollar Cemetery. However, stop work provisions should apply during excavation in the area of the former Church allotment. If grave cuts, or human bone, were noted during excavation, work should cease immediately and a qualified archaeologist contacted to assess the remains. If human graves or bones were identified the Police should be notified immediately. Consultation with the NSW Heritage Branch should also take place to discuss future management of the item. Wilpinjong Extension Project Historical Heritage Assessment iii Table of Contents _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Executive summary ................................................................................................................................ ii Background ................................................................................................................................................. ii Impact assessment ..................................................................................................................................... ii Recommendations ...................................................................................................................................... ii 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background .................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Proposed development ................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 The project area............................................................................................................................. 2 1.4 Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements ................................................................. 5 1.5 Aims and objectives ....................................................................................................................... 5 1.6 Project team .................................................................................................................................. 5 1.7 Limitations ..................................................................................................................................... 5 1.8 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 5 2. Legislative requirements ................................................................................................................. 6 2.1 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 ...................................................................... 6 2.2 Commonwealth heritage legislation ............................................................................................. 7 2.3 State heritage legislation ............................................................................................................... 8 3. Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 10 3.1 Data collection and review .........................................................................................................