The Wambo Mine – Modification 12 – Southern Longwall Modifications is a proposal to extend an existing coal mine in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales (NSW). The mine is owned by coal producer Peabody Energy.

An environmental impact statement (EIS) has been submitted to the Department of Environment and Planning. This submission relates mainly to Appendix K of the EIS, a “Socio-Economic Assessment” written by consultants AnalytEcon.

The assessment by AnalytEcon purports to show that the project will bring net economic benefit to NSW. However, this assessment does not meet NSW guidelines for economic assessment and overstates the value of the project. The assessment is not transparent, making it difficult to assess whether the social costs of the project outweigh its benefits.