Coal & Allied Community Newsletter Singleton edition February 2011

1
Coal & Allied community newsletter
Singleton edition
Issue 6 - March 2011
Errol Bailey from Coal & Allied presents Singleton Hospital’s Wendy
Mason- Jones and Yvonne Patricks with a $20,000 donation for their new
emergency department while Sharon Schilling, Peter Szlicht and Brendan
Connor from HVO’s site donation committee look on.
New emergency department a step closer
for Singleton Hospital
Hunter Valley
Operations’
Site Donations
Committee
has donated
$20,000 towards
a new emergency
department at
Singleton Hospital.
Singleton Health Services
Manager Wendy Mason-Jones
has welcomed the donation,
which will be used to purchase
equipment for the new
emergency department.
“We thank Coal & Allied
for supporting this important
project for the Upper Hunter
community,” Wendy said.
“The equipment we’ll look
to purchase with this donation
could include items necessary
for critical observation such
as respiratory and cardiac
monitoring machines with
electrocardiograph capability.
“This will benefit a significant
number of people, the existing
emergency department was used
by more than 12,000 people
from late 2009 to late 2010.”
Hunter Valley Operations Site
Donation Committee Member
Errol Bailey said the committee
had chosen to support the new
emergency department because
of the vital service it will provide
to the local community.
“We all work in the Singleton
community and our employees
live in the Hunter region, so
we’re pleased to be able to
support our local hospital,”
Errol said.
“This donation will benefit
the wider Singleton community,
of which our employees and
their families are a part of, and
we look forward to continuing
our support of the Singleton
Hospital.”
Wendy said design work for
the new emergency department
began last year.
“We’re continuing the early
planning work for the emergency
department, ahead of consulting
with clinical staff and other
stakeholders to determine the
final design,” Wendy said.
“Work is progressing for
tenders by June .
Construction is expected to
start this year, with a target of
opening the new emergency
department in 2012.”
Freecall 1800 727 745 | 127 John Street Singleton | 19 Bridge Street Muswellbrook | www.coalandallied.com.au

2
From the GMs
Graham Gageler
Welcome to the first edition
of our Singleton community
newsletter for 2011. This
will be my last column as
general manager operations
for Hunter Valley Operations
as I will soon be moving
across to our Mount Pleasant
Project near Muswellbrook.
Dust suppression trials are
now underway on site and
I am pleased to announce
our involvement in the new
Upper Hunter Air Quality
Monitoring Network which
was launched in December
last year.
This partnership between
the NSW Government and
Upper Hunter coal and
power industries will see
the establishment of a
high quality air monitoring
network across the Hunter,
including the centres of
Singleton and Muswellbrook.
Interested community
members can access air
quality data 24 hours a day,
seven days a week via the
DECCW’s website – www.
environment.nsw.gov.au/
aqms/.
On a safety front we have
started this year remaining
focused on reducing our
incidents and injuries. There
is a lot of work underway
on site and it is important
that we keep our attention
on working safely so we can
all go home as healthy as we
arrive each day.
In this newsletter you
can read about some of
our recent Site Donation
Committee initiatives,
including the Singleton
Hospital emergency
department, and I was also
pleased to continue our
support of the Singleton
Men’s Shed through a $5,500
donation earlier this year.
Cam Halfpenny
Mining has recommenced
at Mount Thorley with
operations progressing west
to Charlton Road. In the
next month we will have
some blasting works which
will affect this road and
we will be working hard to
minimise any disruptions
due to this work. We will
advertise periodic road
closures in local papers and
on our website.
We are also calling for
interested community
members to join our CCC,
find out more on page four
of the newsletter.
In this edition you
can also read more about
our work in the Hunter
“A reminder that our Annual Environmental Management
Report for 2010 is now available to view on our website.”
region including a new
community partnership with
the Newcastle Knights for
Indigenous teenagers 100%
Knights.
On an environmental
front, MTW, Singleton
Council and Thiess Services
will be holding the first of
two E-Waste collection days
for 2011 on Saturday 26
March. The collection will
be held between 9.00am
and 1.00pm at the Singleton
Council Car Park (Civic
Avenue entrance).
These collection days
are a great opportunity for
you to safely dispose of any
electronic items you may
have around your homes. At
our September collection we
collected more than 10,000
tonnes of e-waste, which
would normally end up as
landfill which is a great
achievement.
Also, a reminder that
Coal & Allied’s Annual
Environmental Management
Report for 2010 is now
available to view on our
website as well as at our
shopfronts and at the
Singleton Library. Our
sustainable development
report will also be released
later in April, and will be
both on our website and in
our shopfronts.
Growing our community team in Singleton
Coal & Allied’s Singleton
Community Relations
team has two new faces,
after Community Relations
Specialist Andrew Turner
and Community Relations
Officer Sarah Jarrett joined
the team recently.
Andrew will be based
at the Singleton shopfront
to serve as an important
point of contact for the
local community and near
neighbours of our Hunter
Valley Operations and
Mount Thorley Warkworth
mines. You will also see
Andrew at our future
community activities across
the Upper Hunter.
Sarah started with Coal
& Allied in December
2010. She will also be
based in the Singleton
shopfront and will oversee
Coal & Allied’s school
engagement programme
and the roll-out of a new
stakeholder database.
Community Relations
Manager Jen Bowcock said
Andrew and Sarah have
joined the team to help
Coal & Allied continue to
provide the community
with information about our
activities and partnerships.
“We are committed to
maintaining a strong and
active relationship with
the community and our
new team members will
play an important role in
making sure we remain an
accessible member of the
community,” Jen said.
“While you will see
Andrew and Sarah out and
about in the community,
you can also call into the
Singleton shopfront to
talk with our community
Freecall 1800 727 745 | 127 John Street Singleton | 19 Bridge Street Muswellbrook | www.coalandallied.com.au

3
Waste not, want not at mines
The organic component of
general waste destined for
landfill has been given an
unusual new home as part of a
rehabilitation trial underway at
two Coal & Allied sites.
Mount Thorley Warkworth
and Hunter Valley Operations
are set to receive 10,000 tonnes
of mixed waste compost this
year to provide a nutrient boost
to more than 100 hectares
of rehabilitated land across
both sites.
General waste includes
garden trimmings and
food scraps which can be
composted, however Coal &
Allied Environmental Specialist
– Rehabilitation, Bill Baxter,
said many households still
throw these items into their
bins to end up as landfill.
“Organic waste makes up 30
per cent of all rubbish collected
through council garbage
collections, however this
material is rich in nutrients
and is ideal to use as a soil
booster,” Bill said.
“As many green thumbs
know, compost is a gardener’s
secret weapon as it provides
the same organic material
contained in productive soils.
“It helps in many ways by
improving soil structure and
providing added nutrients - the
addition of compost is more
focused on building long-term
soil health by ‘feeding’ the soil
rather than using chemical
fertilisers to ’feed’ the plant.”
Coal & Allied has also
previously trialled biosolids
on its rehabilitation projects,
however Bill said mixed waste
compost is much easier to
handle and spread over large
areas, making it an ideal
material to switch to.
“We’re about to commence
an initial 12 month trial and
are currently in the process
of finalising arrangements
to deliver the mixed waste
compost from household
rubbish collections to both sites
each month,” Bill said
“An added benefit is that
this material is very cost
effective – we have found that
the main costs are associated
with physically delivering it to
site, rather than the cost of the
material itself.
“We are hoping that this
trial will provide us with a
sustainable way to manage
our rehabilitation work into
the future across Coal &
Allied, through helping to
reduce waste destined for
landfill and using organic and
natural products to improve
our soil productivity and
local biodiversity.”
As mixed waste compost
has been derived from waste,
its use on mine rehabilitation,
forestry and broad-acre
agriculture has been approved
by the EPA under the ‘Organics
outputs derived from mixed waste
exemption 2010’. Coal & Allied
and manufacturer SITA will
comply with all of the sampling
and management requirements
of the exemption.
Want to know more?
For more information about Coal
& Allied’s operations or activities
in your local community:
Visit:
Shopfronts in Singleton
(127 John St) and Muswellbrook
(19 Bridge St)
Phone:
Community Info line -
1800 727 745
Environmental Hotline -
1800 656 892
Blasting hotlines -
HVO: 1800 888 733
MTW: 1800 099 669
Read:
Singleton and Muswellbrook
Community Newsletters,
distributed direct to your
letterbox
Email:
cnacommunityrelations@
riotinto. com
Web:
www.coalandallied. com. au
- includes materials from
information sessions.
Pictured: Meet our Hunter Valley
Community Relations team; Elizabeth
Yeo, Kim Harris, Sarah Jarrett,
Andrew Turner, Nataly Zelayandia,
Jen Bowcock and Stephen Sneddon.
Not pictured: Cate Sims.
relations team. We are also
available on our free call
Community Info line:
1800 727 745.”
Coal & Allied’s Singleton
shopfront is located at 127
John Street Singleton and the
Muswellbrook Shopfront is
located at 19 Bridge Street
Muswellbrook.
Freecall 1800 727 745 | 127 John Street Singleton | 19 Bridge Street Muswellbrook | www.coalandallied.com.au

4
Developing career pathways for
local Aboriginal students
Over the past seven years, Coal &
Allied has enjoyed a highly successful
partnership with the Newcastle Knights,
built on a strong grassroots approach of
giving back to local communities in the
Hunter Valley.
NSW Community Relations Manager,
Jen Bowcock, said the sponsorship
has been so successful because the
Newcastle Knights is a communitybased
organisation.
“Through Coal & Allied’s Community
Alliance with the Knights, we have
given back to the Hunter Valley in a
variety of environment, health and
wellbeing, skills, and education and
training initiatives,” Jen said.
“We look forward to this continuing
as we know we have lots more to give.”
Jen said just recently the Community
Alliance reached one of its biggest
milestones ever after bringing the
people of Muswellbrook its first NRL trial
match in nearly 20 years.
“We have also recently launched a
new programme for Aboriginal students
in the Upper Hunter,” Jen said.
100% Knights is designed to create
pathways to successful careers for 100
Aboriginal students in years 10, 11, and
12 in participating schools in the Upper
Hunter Valley.
The programme is a combined
initiative between the Community
Alliance, the National Rugby League
(NRL), and the Federal Department of
Education, Employment and Workplace
Relations.
Newcastle Knights Chief Executive
Steve Burraston said the programme
aims to ensure 100 per cent of the
students in the programme complete
their senior schooling, and go onto
further study, training, or meaningful
employment.
Jen said 100% Knights will build on
the work Coal & Allied already does to
support the local Aboriginal community
in the Hunter.
“Each student will be supported by
unique learning opportunities such as
industry-based mentoring, field trips,
and work experience opportunities in
their chosen career, through the partners
in this programme and other local
businesses,” Jen said.
“In this way we aim to help every
student to reach their career goals,
and as a wider benefit, work towards
increasing the skills capacity of the
Upper Hunter Valley.”
Newcastle Knights new recruit
Neville Costigan at the Singleton Blitz.
MTW Community
Consultative
Committee calls
for expressions of
interest
Mount Thorley Warkworth
currently has two vacancies for
community representatives on
its Community Consultative
Committee.
The committee is intended
to provide a forum for open
discussion between Coal &
Allied and appointed community
representatives, together with
representatives of Singleton
Council and relevant Government
Authorities on issues directly
relating to the mines operations,
environmental performance and
community relations, and to
keep the community informed on
these matters.
The committee currently meets
three times per year.
Further information is available
from Brian Thomas, Coordinator
Environmental and Health,
Singleton Council. Telephone
6578 7290 or email
ssc@singleton.nsw.gov.au.
Community members are asked
to register their expressions of
interest with Brian Thomas,
Singleton Council, by Friday 6
May 2011.
Coal & Allied Industries Limited
Level 3 - West Tower, 410 Ann
Street, Brisbane 4000 Australia
Mount Thorley Warkworth
Community Consultative Committee
Hunter Valley Operations
Community Consultative Committee
Visit our shopfronts:
127 John Street, Singleton
19 Bridge Street, Muswellbrook
Freecall 1800 727 745
www.coalandallied.com.au
Cr Alison Howlett 0423 248 586
Cr Godfrey Adamthewaite 6573 4084
Bruce Russell 6574 6501
Carol Russell 6574 6501
Stewart Mitchell 6574 5152
Susan Timbury 6571 2353
Peter Cooke 6775 9155
Adrian Gallagher 6574 5100
John Krey 6574 5376
Coal & Allied representatives
Cam Halfpenny 6570 1502
Andrew Speechly 6570 0494
Robert Carter 6570 1534
Cr Sue Moore 4938 1712
Cr Paul Nichols 6576 4029
Phillip Holz 6574 6242
Gail Hunter 0419 247 151
Jeffrey Neal 0427 019 432
Charilie Shearer 6572 1701
Ian Beal 6572 3596
Dr Neville Hodkinson
Coal & Allied representatives
Mark Currie 6570 0273
Paul Ernst 6570 0273
Andrew Speechly 6570 0494
Sarah Poynton 6570 0376
Jennifer Bowcock 6549 0506 Jennifer Bowcock 6570 3600
Freecall 1800 727 745 | 127 John Street Singleton | 19 Bridge Street Muswellbrook | www.coalandallied.com.au