Dartbrook Coal Mine Modifjcation 7 IPC Presentation - Visual and Landscape Character Impacts Michael Wright April 2019 1
IMPORTANCE OF LANDSCAPE • Upper Hunter and Sedgenhoe Valleys are Rural and Highly Scenic without coal mining activities • Proposed Dartbrook Mine Modifjcation is the most northerly mine in the Hunter and extends into this highly scenic and valuable landscape DARTBROOK COAL MINE Mine Authorisation Boundary 2
Equine Critical Industry Cluster National Park IMPORTANCE OF Coal Titles - Active Coal Mines LANDSCAPE SATUR AGRICULTURAL VALUES SCONE • Landscape recognised by, and is fundamental UPPER ROUCHEL to, the designation of Equine Critical Industry ABERDEEN Cluster • Broad river fmats MUSWELLBROOK • Rich and deep alluvial soils LIDDELL POWER STATION • Abundant water supply DENMAN BAYSWATER POWER STATION MOUNT PLEASANT • Steeply undulating slopes BUREEN JERRYS PLAINS • Mild climate DOYLES CREEK • Ideal landscapes for horse breeding studs which SINGLETON are displayed in white on the adjoining map JAMES RANGE APPLETREE RIDGE WOLLEMI NATIONAL PARK 3
VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT Environmental Assessment Report Mod 7 (AQC) - June 2018 • One (1) paragraph on visual impact assessment plus 2 photos DARTBROOK MINE • “No private residences in the vicinity” MODIFICATION 7 Environmental Assessment • “The New England Highway is the only public area affected” for Australian Pacific Coal Limited June 2018 • “Visual effect low” • No mention of 192 B-Double truck movements every 3.5 minutes for 11 hours, or the impacts at the Kayuga Entry or coal handling facility at East Site 4
VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT Response to Submission Report (AQC) - August 2018 • 2 pages on visual impact assessment plus 1 map Dartbrook Mine MODIFICATION 7 • Focuses on shaft shed with inadequate assessment of truck Response to Submissions movements, stockpiles and other facilities for Australian Pacific Coal Limited August 2018 • Private houses not property assessed - only 1 house identifjed as being impacted • Incorrectly states that other houses are screened by topography or vegetation • Local roads or streets were not assessed 5
VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT Assessment Report (DPE) - January 2019 • Visual impacts are not mentioned in the report • “Social impacts actually experienced would be more akin to a new mine” 6
PUBLIC AREAS Aberdeen Abercairney Crescent • National Highway - Dartbrook Hunter River New England Highway Dartbrook Road New England Highway • Main Regional rail line - Main Northern Rail Line Blairmore Lane • 3 Local rural roads Rail loop & • Local Streets in Haul Road CHPP Aberdeen I n v H e r u m n e i t n e S r t R Kayuga i v e r Unfjltered views Public Road Private Road Filtered views 0 200 500 1000 2000 metres Train Line 7
PRIVATE AREAS Aberdeen • 30 houses (approx.) in Dartbrook Hunter River vicinity of the project Dartbrook Road N e • 15 houses (approx.) w E n have views of proposed g l a n mining activities d H i g Blairmore Lane h w a y • 6 houses between 120m to 1200m have d Rail loop a o R l u clear views of proposed a & CHPP H mining activities Invermein St Hunter River Kayuga Houses Houses with clear views 8
VISUAL EFFECTS • Shaft Shed + New Aberdeen Abercairney Crescent Access Road Dartbrook Hunter River - No footprint dimensions Dartbrook Road New England Highway • Haul Trucks - 192 oneway trips - 7am-6pm (1 every Blairmore Lane Kayuga Shaft 3.5min) (11 hours a day) Entry Shed East Site Road Rail loop • Kayuga entry area & CHPP Haul - Stockpile ROM 8m high - Haul truck parking and service facilities Invermein St H u n • Coal handling and t e r stockpiles at East Site R Kayuga i v e r Public Road Private Road Train Line 9
VIEWPOINTS Viewpoints Distances to Abercairney nearest Dartbrook Crescent Mining Activity Aberdeen (metres) Hunter River 1 New England 5 240m Highway 3 Dartbrook Road N 2 e Main Northern 400m w 4 E Rail Line n g l a n d 3 House near H 1200m i g 2 h Blairmore Lane Aberdeen w Kayuga Shaft a y 1 Entry 9 Shed 4 House near 1200m Haul Road Aberdeen Rail loop & CHPP 5 Aberdeen - 1300m Abercairney Crescent 6 Kayuga - 500m 6 Invermein St Invermein St H 7 u 8 n t e r 7 R Houses in Kayuga 500m i v e r 8 Houses in Kayuga 500m Public Road Private Road Train Line 9 Dartbrook Road 150m 10
INDIRECT VISUAL IMPACTS • Light pollution a signifjcant and Scone daily indirect visual impact on the areas close to mining • Mines in a suburban to urban / industrial sky Aberdeen • Rural areas outside of Aberdeen and Scone are in a dark to rural sky • Dartbrook mine facilities Muswellbrook are visible in this image even Mangoola though the mine was inactive at the time of the photo Hebden • Therefore when active, the mine will be yellow and red and much brighter. Howick Rural Areas Mining Activity Dark-Sky Rural Sky Suburban Sky Bright Suburban Sky Urban / Industrial Sky 0 0.40 1.00 3.00 9.00 20.00 >40.00 Radiance Gradient (10 W / cm sr) Source: www.lightpollutionmap.info, Earth Observation Group, NOAA National Geophysical Data Center - Image Date: 2015 11
MITIGATION • Tree Screening cannot be relied upon to provide a permanent visual barrier • Existing tree plantings are varied in health and density • Over time, the tree canopies will grow above the eyeline, exposing the mining activities to passing travellers on the Highway and Rail Line. • Existing tree screens opposite the shaft • Existing tree screens on the • An example of maturing tree screens shed site are growing slowly and with embankment next to the rail line demonstrating the transparency as the large gaps opposite the shaft shed site are in poor canopies grow taller condition and quite transparent 12
CONCLUSION • Visual impact has been overlooked throughout this assessment process • EA - inadequate Visual Impact Assessment - lacking detail and overlooks sensitive receivers • DPE requests Social Impact Assessment including visual impact assessment • Response to Submissions Report - inadequate /understates impacts • DPE Assessment Report does not mention Visual Impact and yet states that the ‘Modifjcation 7’ is to be assessed as being “akin to a new mine” • The proposed mining activities including 192 truck movement per day across the open rural fmoodplain, large buildings and stockpiles, and 24/7 activities at East Site, will create a signifjcant visual impact on the rural character of the valley • The Upper Hunter Valley landscapes and agricultural land uses need to be protected from the visual impacts of coal mining. 13
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