When seeking approval for the Appin Area 7 longwall area, or Appin West, Illawarra Coal amended its plan to avoid mining under the nearby river, effectively sterilising 12 million tonnes of coal.

Known during its research stage as the Douglas project, Appin West lies about 30 minutes from Wollongong on the Douglas Park Road, near Douglas Park.

BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal spokeswoman Rosanne Moore told International Longwall News that first coal was cut at the mine last month after a new longwall – purchased last year and commissioned in Appin Area 3 – was installed at the 701 block.

Area 3 of the site was commissioned to cover for the shortfall created by the decision to sterilise the under-river coal.

Moore said longwall mining of block 701 of the Appin West mine had started as scheduled but was a much shorter block at only 520m while other blocks will reach up to 2km.

She added that development of block 702 had commenced but was made more difficult because roadways had to be driven to access the new blocks, realigned to keep them away from the riverbed.

As part of the mine's approval process a report by engineering consultants Pells Sullivan Meynink was commissioned by the New South Wales Government's Road Traffic Authority to study the possible effects of the longwall mining on the nearby Hume Highway and twin bridges that cross the river.

While the report found there was a minimal risk of the operation affecting the bridges, BHP Billion Illawarra Coal funded a recently completed $A9 million repair program on the structures.

Moore told ILN the repair program was purely precautionary and was part of the mine's risk assessment plans and the company's overriding commitment to safety.

Moore said reports that the company was mining under the bridges were false as the closest longwall blocks were at a distance of 1.9km away from the bridges.

In another environmental initiative the Appin West site hosts Illawarra Coal’s first water filtration plant, which was opened in December 2006.

The water filtration plant allows the site to convert low-level saline underground water into water that can be re-used onsite as well as at other nearby mines.

Appin West is the latest extension of the Appin minesite that has produced coal from longwall operations since 1969.