Medway sits near the proposed Cockatoo Coal mine at Sutton Forest where there has been a groundswell of opposition by its high profile residents.

It was claimed to be discharging heavy metals into local waterways, causing the Wingecarribee shire council to reverse its initial support for the mine’s expansion.

Boral said the claims were not true and all discharges from the mine were monitored and found to be within regulatory limits.

The commission subsequently allowed Boral to extract 460,000 tonnes of coal from the Medway site in any calendar year and truck it to Berrima, where some will be used in its cement works, with the remainder hauled to Port Kembla for export.

But it will have to ensure all coal trucks, whether laden or unladen, only travel between the pit top area and the Loch Catherine stockpile area between 6am and 9pm on Mondays to Fridays, between 7am and 2pm on Saturdays and at no time on Sundays or public holidays.

The colliery’s pit-top facilities are located at the end of Medway Road adjacent to the Wingecarribee River.

The mine has one entry located over a bridge on the opposite side of the river and the current mining area is located approximately 3.5km north of the pit top facilities.

Delta Mining is the appointed operator of the mine, which has been in continuous production since 1926, under contract to Boral Cement.

“While an approval would allow for the production of 460,000 tonnes, more recent annual production rates have averaged around 220,000 tonnes,” the company said.

“We have set a target for the 2011-12 financial year of 280,000 tonnes.”

As Medway was one of the smallest coal mines in the country, the opportunity to export offered an additional income stream which was needed to support ongoing operations and therefore jobs, the company said.

“The cement manufacture process is reliant on an available supply of energy,” it said.

“Coal and electricity are our main energy operating costs.

“As these costs are increasing, initiatives must be undertaken to keep us competitive against imported cement products.

“Achieving a production rate at the colliery which supports the cement works while providing a relatively small amount for export assists in the commercial viability of the operations.”