Coal & Allied Community Newsletter Singleton edition November 2011

1
Coal & Allied community newsletter
Singleton edition
Issue 9 - November/December 2011
Pictured: Preparing for another great
season - Singleton Swimming Club President
Linda Edmistone, Megan Purkiss, Hillary
Herbert and Coal & Allied’s Sarah Jarrett
Singleton Swim Club set for success
On any given day the Singleton
Swimming Club is full of the sounds of
new swimmers learning their strokes,
locals taking a leisurely lap and serious
swimmers preparing for competitions.
The club has been promoting
swimming as a safe and rewarding activity
for people of all ages and abilities for over
83 years. During this time the Singleton
Swimming Club has produced an Olympic
representative and state and national
champions. But like many sporting groups
and community organisations, the club
has had to strive to meet operational costs
through fundraising efforts including
raffles and barbeques.
But thanks to Coal & Allied’s donation
of $10,000 a year for three years, the
committee is now looking forward to
spending less energy organising raffle
tickets and more time investing in
running the club.
Club President Linda Edmistone said
knowing the club will have ongoing
sponsorship for three years has provided
great peace of mind and provided a
boost to the club’s morale.
“The sponsorship has been a very
positive step forward for the club,”
Linda said.
“The funding will help us to
strengthen our resources by purchasing
the equipment necessary to continue
to hold swim nights and offer
training sessions.
“Some of the funds will also be
used in encouragement prizes such as
swimmer of the week and contributing
towards swimmers representing the
club at events from an inter-town to
national level.”
NSW Community Relations Manager
Jennifer Bowcock said Coal & Allied
had chosen to support the Singleton
Swimming Club because of its strong
commitment to promoting water safety,
as well as the benefits it offered children,
teenagers and adults in participating in a
social and family friendly sport.
“Coal & Allied is excited to assist the
Singleton Swim Club to continue to
teach the importance of water safety
and swimming as a life skill, as well as
good sportsmanship, team spirit and the
benefit of good exercise,” Jennifer said.
“The club has been producing
swimming champions for decades and we
want to be a part of ensuring Singleton
continues to have representative
swimmers at country, state and national
events into the future.”
Anyone interested in joining the
Singleton Swimming Club can call
0439 404 308, attend sign ups on
Friday nights from 6pm at their club
house at the Gym & Swim or visit
www. singleton.nsw.swimming.com.au.
Freecall 1800 727 745 | 127 John Street Singleton | 19 Bridge Street Muswellbrook | www.coalandallied.com.au

2
From the GMs
Noise attenuation
trucks
Coal & Allied recognises
the impact noise from
its operations can have
on its neighbours. We
are continually working
to improve the way we
manage noise. One
initiative underway is
progressively fitting noise
attenuation equipment to
our fleet to reduce the noise
from mining equipment
at our Mount Thorley
Warkworth operation.
Coal & Allied has been
progressively introducing
noise attenuation to
equipment including
trucks, dozers and an
excavator this year.
Currently close to 40 per
cent of our trucks have
been modified.
Additional quieter trucks
will be progressively
introduced until the
majority of our Mount
Thorley Warkworth
truck fleet is sound
attenuated. This will
help in the management
of noise impacts on
our neighbours. While
this work is underway
quieter trucks have been
assigned to areas where
mining activities have
greater potential to cause
noise impacts on the
surrounding community.
Tom Lukeman
Hunter Valley Operations
Welcome to the fourth and final edition
of the Singleton community newsletter for
2011. We hope you have enjoyed reading
our community newsletters throughout
the year. We have been providing
information to the community about
our exploration work, and in this edition
you can read more about the progress of
Exploration Licence 5291 on page 3.
On a safety front we have remained
focused on reducing our incidents and
injuries, with Coal & Allied again receiving
the NovaSkill Safety Host Employer Award
recently. You can read more about the
awards we received this year on page 4.
I would also like to take this opportunity
to congratulate two HVO apprentices,
Lincoln Mills and Clint Mungoven who
have both been recognised for their
outstanding efforts. Lincoln is the 2011
NovaSkill Safety Awareness Apprentice of
the Year and Clint is the 2011 Automotive
Training Board NSW Heavy Industry
Apprentice of the Year. This is the second
time Clint has been recognised by industry,
after he received the NovaSkill Mechanical
Trades Apprentice of the Year award last
year. Congratulations to you both.
Congratulations also to our HVO
Emergency Response team who placed
second overall and received three individual
exercise awards at the recent Hunter Valley
Open Cut Mines Rescue Competition.
2011 has brought some great results
as we make strides towards increasing
our production to ramp up to a rate of
14 million tonnes per year. Thank you to
everyone for your commitment to working
together safely towards our production goal.
It’s not too late to send your feedback.
Simply fill in and return the feedback form
attached to this newsletter and choose
an organisation from the list to receive a
$10 donation.
Cam Halfpenny
Mount Thorley Warkworth
It was great to take some time out at
the Mount Thorley Warkworth Family and
Neighbour Day on November 12 and see
so many of our neighbours, employees,
contractors and families.
As the warmer weather and school
holidays approach and many of us
head for the water to keep cool, it is
important that we focus on safety in and
around the water. As such, we are proud
to announce our sponsorship of the
Singleton Swimming Club, a community
organisation teaching young people
water safety.
As Tom mentioned, Coal & Allied
was awarded a number of prizes at
the recent regional NovaSkill Awards.
Congratulations to MTW second year
apprentice Electrician Thomas House who
won the Indigenous Apprentice of the Year
award, where his great attitude to safety
was acknowledged.
We’ve also seen several important
developments in our proposed
Warkworth Extension project with
the NSW Department of Planning and
Infrastructure publishing its Assessment
Report recommending approval of
the project.
This report is the Department’s
assessment of the Environmental
Assessment and other extensive material
provided by Coal & Allied over the past
two years, along with submissions made
by the community during the public
exhibition period. An extension update is
on page 3.
The Planning Assessment Commission
(PAC) is now responsible for making a
determination and has held a public
meeting. I attended the meeting to listen
to feedback from the community, and I
am committed to working with people
to address their concerns. This project is
vital to the ongoing employment of our
workforce and for the economic benefits
we provide to the local community.
Freecall 1800 727 745 | 127 John Street Singleton | 19 Bridge Street Muswellbrook | www.coalandallied.com.au

3
Project update – Warkworth Extension
The Warkworth Extension is a
proposal to extend operations at
Warkworth Mine near Singleton, from
2021 to 2032. The extension area is
within the footprint of existing mining
tenements and on land owned by
Mount Thorley Warkworth mine.
An approval for this extension
is important to the future of our
operations at Mount Thorley
Warkworth. It will create 150 new jobs
and provide ongoing employment for
our existing workforce of more than
1300 people. However, we recognise
community members have concerns
about the extension and we are
committed to working with them to
minimise our impacts.
In October, the NSW Department
of Planning and Infrastructure
published its Assessment Report
recommending approval of the
Warkworth Extension Project. This
report is the Department’s assessment
of the Environmental Assessment and
other project material provided by
Coal & Allied, together with the public
submissions made by the community
during the project exhibition period.
The Department has recommended
a range of conditions to manage and
mitigate the impacts of the extension,
including a substantial community
enhancement contribution by Coal
& Allied of around $10 million for
works to benefit Bulga and the
surrounding areas. The contribution
can be made through a trust fund
or, alternatively, Coal & Allied has
already proposed a Voluntary Planning
Agreement worth around $11 million
to Singleton Council.
Our proposal also includes a
significant biodiversity conservation
package which will deliver the long
term protection or rehabilitation of an
area more than eight times the size
of the land that would be disturbed
through the Warkworth Extension.
The project has now been referred to
the Planning Assessment Commission
(PAC) for a final determination.
Coal & Allied attended a public
meeting held by the PAC in Singleton
in November and we will continue to
work closely with community members
who raised concerns.
If you would like more information
drop into our community
shopfront at 127 John Street
in Singleton, call our freecall
community information line on
1800 727 745 or visit our website
at www. coalandallied. com. au
Community Development Fund recommitted in Hunter Valley
Coal & Allied has thanked its 150
community partners and announced
a further $4.5 million in support will
be available through its Community
Development Fund over the next
three years, for projects to help build
a more sustainable future for the
Hunter Valley.
It is the fifth time Coal & Allied
has re-committed to the Community
Development Fund since it was
established in 1999. Funding will
increase by 50 per cent for the first
time, reflecting the growing quality and
diversity of the programmes put forward
by local community organisations.
Pictured: Community partners gather at the Coal & Allied Community Development Fund annual
event held at the Scone Racecourse in November.
Mount Thorley
Warkworth Family and
Neighbour Day success
It was great to see so many
neighbours, employees and
role replacement contractors
of Mount Thorley Warkworth
(MTW) and their families at the
MTW Family and Neighbour
Day on Saturday 12 November.
Between 9am and 3pm more
than 2000 people dropped in to
enjoy the performances, displays,
demonstrations, live music,
refreshments and entertainment
The mine site bus tour
proved to be popular, and the
demonstration from the MTW
Emergency Response team
gathered quite a crowd.
Thank you to everyone who
took the time to attend and we
look forward to seeing you all
again at the next Family and
Neighbour Day.
Exploration studies
Coal & Allied is about to
commence studies including
drilling and environmental and
cultural heritage surveys on
Exploration Licence 5291, an area
to the east of the Hunter Valley
Operations site.
Coal & Allied is committed to a
long term future in the Hunter Valley
and, like many other coal producers,
holds exploration licences outside of
its existing operations.
To satisfy the conditions of this
exploration licence, Coal & Allied
is required to undertake studies to
better understand the coal resource
in this area for longer term planning.
These studies will take place over
the next six months, on properties
where we have reached agreements
with landholders.
If you would like more
information drop into our
community shopfront at 127
John Street in Singleton, call our
freecall community information
line on 1800 727 745
or visit our website at
www. coalandallied. com. au
Freecall 1800 727 745 | 127 John Street Singleton | 19 Bridge Street Muswellbrook | www.coalandallied.com.au

4
“Your Say” Community
Engagement Appraisal
Coal & Allied is currently
undertaking the “Your Say” project to
gain a personal perspective from the
community on our social performance
in the region. A particular focus
is on the perspectives of our near
neighbours, as part of building ongoing
and respectful relationships with our
closest members of the community.
We have encouraged honest
feedback that we can use to build
our future community planning,
management of impacts, and as part
of developing better, more responsive
relationships with the community. The
consultation has included interviews
with near neighbours, Singleton
Shire Council, community members
including healthcare professionals,
environmental groups, local
businesses, media representatives, and
Aboriginal community members.
We will provide feedback on the
findings and recommendations of
this work early in the new year and
thank everyone who has given their
time to take part. We look forward to
continuing to work with you. If you
would like more information or would
like to participate in this project,
please contact Andrew Turner at our
Singleton shopfront or call 6575 5800.
The sessions provided information
about Coal & Allied, and its projects,
future roles and employment
opportunities at its sites, as well as
advice and ‘preparation’ information
for anyone interested in applying.
The sessions were filled to capacity
and additional sessions have been
scheduled after receiving this
overwhelming response.
Further sessions are planned to be
held at 127 John Street, Singleton on
December 7 at 10am and 11am and
December 14 at 5pm and 6pm. To
register your interest call 1800 727 745
or email cnacommunityrelations@
riotinto.com. The shopfronts are also
open to all members of the community
year-round during business hours,
Monday to Friday.
Coal & Allied scoops the pot at
regional NovaSkill Awards
Safety, community engagement and
culture awareness have proven to be
Coal & Allied’s strengths at the annual
2011 NovaSkill Awards again this
year with Coal & Allied taking home
the Safety Host Employer Award and
Community Engagement and Cultural
Awareness Award.
In its 31 st year, the awards
recognise the achievements of
apprentices and their host employers
in over 20 categories with four
awards going to Coal & Allied and
its employees.
Competition for these awards is
fierce with over 200 entries received
every year from a wide range of
business and industry areas.
Electrician Lincoln Mills of Hunter
Valley Operations won the Safety
Awareness Apprentice of the Year
award for his strong and continuing
commitment to his personal and
colleagues’ safety.
Coal & Allied second year
apprentice Electrician Thomas House
of Mount Thorley Warkworth also won
with the Indigenous Apprentice of the
Year award and his great attitude to
safety was acknowledged.
Employment information sessions
Hundreds of people wanting
to know more about applying for
jobs with Coal & Allied attended
employment information sessions in
Singleton and Muswellbrook during
October and November.
Pictured: Coal & Allied Hunter Valley Operations Maintenance Manager
Steve Jackson (left) accepting the Safety Host Employer award
Coal & Allied Industries Limited
123 Albert Street
Brisbane 4000 Australia
Visit our shopfronts:
127 John Street, Singleton
19 Bridge Street, Muswellbrook
Community Information Line
1800 727 745 (freecall)
Complaints Hotline
1800 656 892 (freecall)
www.coalandallied.com.au
Mount Thorley Warkworth
Community Consultative Committee
Cr Alison Howlett 0423 248 586
Cr Godfrey Adamthewaite 6573 4084
Bruce Russell 6574 6501
Carol Russell 6574 6501
Stewart Mitchell 6574 5152
Peter Cooke 6775 9155
Adrian Gallagher 6574 5100
John Krey 6574 5376
Coal & Allied representatives
Cam Halfpenny 6570 1502
Andrew Speechly 6570 0497
Robert Carter 6570 1534
Jennifer Bowcock 6549 0506
Hunter Valley Operations
Community Consultative Committee
Cr Sue Moore 4938 1712
Cr Paul Nichols 6576 4029
Gail Hunter 0419 247 151
Jeffrey Neal 0427 019 432
Charlie Shearer 6572 1701
Ian Beal 6572 3596
Dr Neville Hodkinson
Coal & Allied representatives
Tom Lukeman 6570 0273
Paul Ernst 6570 0273
Andrew Speechly 6570 0497
Sarah Poynton 6570 0376
Jennifer Bowcock 6549 0506
Freecall 1800 727 745 | 127 John Street Singleton | 19 Bridge Street Muswellbrook | www.coalandallied.com.au