The coal project, which is 85% owned by his Aston Resources company, has been allocated 3.5 million tonnes per annum from 2015, but Tinkler is also proposing his own port development.

The increase of 3.5Mtpa, which supports the existing allocations of 1.7Mtpa from 2013, 3.3Mtpa from 2015 and a three-year substitute shipper arrangement at NCIG, will be sourced from the planned Terminal 4.

This terminal would probably not go ahead because of lack of capacity in the supply chain if Tinkler’s Hunter Ports succeeds in developing its proposed $2.5 billion terminal at the old BHP steelworks site at Newcastle.

Aston remains confident there will be sufficient excess port capacity available in the short to medium term to meet its expected production pending delivery of T4, interim CEO Peter Kane said.

“This is a further important step in securing the necessary export capacity to support the Maules Creek project,” he said. “The project is now close to securing the port capacity required for its full production ramp up.”

Last month, Tinkler’s Hunter Ports lodged a proposal for the Newcastle terminal with the New South Wales government just as PWCS finalised its environmental assessment for its T4.

PWCS’s EA, which addresses potential social and environmental aspects of the project, has been lodged with the NSW Department of Planning and Newcastle Port Corporation and is expected to be placed on public exhibition early in 2012.

Tinkler claimed his proposed terminal would be better for local residents because its impact would be lessened by using noise barriers and shields.

The Hunter Ports terminal will have the capacity to export $12 billion worth of coal per year, creating 1600 jobs once it is operating, Hunter Ports managing director Steve van Barneveld said.