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The Department has approved the project subject to strict conditions.
The conditions address issues raised in submissions received during public consultation held last year, including current standards required for development of an Extraction Plan and new rehabilitation objectives.
Submissions were only received from government agencies including Cessnock Council and the Office of Environment and Heritage, with no public submissions received.
The site will be subject to ongoing audits and site inspections by the Department’s compliance officers to ensure the company is adhering to its consent conditions.
The Department can issue the highest on-the-spot fines in the country for breaches of conditions.
Austar’s December quarter production was up 175% on the previous quarter, having recommenced mining in two development areas during the reporting period.
Total annual production of 0.72Mt was down 52% on the year prior, attributable to the cessation of longwall operations in mid-2014 and subsequent realignment of the 2015 business to access and develop new mining areas.
