The petition asks that EL6523, EL6524 and EL6563 be revoked, and that the areas covered by those licenses be exempt from future exploratory and mining activity. Two were recently renewed by the NSW Government until 2015.

The Rocky Hill Coal Project is an open cut mining proposal that, if approved, will provide jobs and other economic benefits to the people of the Gloucester area, the company claims.

The project involves mining of up to 2.5 million tonnes per annum of ROM coal, all of which will be washed in an onsite specialised coal handling and preparation plant.

Product coal will be transferred by overland conveyor to a rail load-out facility adjacent to the North Coast railway line and then dispatched by rail to the Port of Newcastle for export.

The Rocky Hill coal project at its peak will employ up to 150 people locally and represents the future of mining. The project will employ state of the art technology and be subject to rigorous environmental and social assessment, regulation, monitoring and scrutiny.

The management team will work with the local people and organisations by providing accurate information about the project and developing partnerships to enhance the community, according to the company.

“The Rocky Hill coal project will be specially designed to reduce the impact of its activities,” according to the company.

“This is just one example of the best practice techniques that will be employed to minimise impacts on the community and the environment.”

During operations, the site will be progressively rehabilitated to create a final landform that is safe, stable and sympathetic to the existing landform to allow the speedy re-introduction of productive grazing and nature conservation land uses, the company said.

“The Rocky Hill coal project is an investment in our future prosperity,” it said.