The proposal will allow the company to extract groundwater for its nearby Boggabri coal mining operations.

The NSW Department of Planning and Environment said the application indicates the mine wants to construct a borefield and associated infrastructure including power lines, water pipelines, storage tanks and transfer pumps.

A spokesman for the Department said: “Community consultation is an integral part of the planning process and the applicant will have to respond to the feedback we receive and this is taken into consideration when we develop our recommendations.”