The Wollongong coal mining company said it had focused on restoring and or rehabilitating six of its former minesites as well as other minesites in the area.

Illawarra Coal general manager sustainable development Wendy Tyrrell said the company had worked closely with stakeholders to ensure minimum disruption to residents and the public who could be affected by the works.

In summary, the works include:

Completion of rehabilitation at Kemira, with ongoing revegetation maintenance. The company is reviewing possibilities for the future sale and use of the site, which will enable the lease to be relinquished.

Capping of pit top shafts at Cordeaux, with the No. 2 shaft rehabilitated and revegetation maintenance ongoing. In the future, the Dendrobium mine will have use of the area, including the No. 3 shaft.

Completion of mine rehabilitation at Old Bulli (which operated from 1937 to the mid-1980s), with the site returned to open space and sold. The lease is to be relinquished. Ongoing maintenance is the responsibility of new owners.

Completion of rehabilitation, except for revegetation and subsequent maintenance, at PK No. 2, a small mine that closed in the 1960s, which Illawarra Coal made a commitment to reseal despite never having operated that mine.

The Elouera/Delta mine is under contract with Delta to mine for a further 18 months. Nebo one and two shafts have been sealed and Illawarra Coal is progressing investigations for nominated portals. A draft emplacement closure plan has been submitted and future plans include continued rehabilitation of disused entries and investigation into the possibility of a deed with Wollongong City Council allowing for the development of a tourist mine.

North Cliff has been temporarily sealed.