Narrabri council to ask Boggabri how much Whitehaven should pay for Vickery coal mine

At its July meeting, council resolved to get community input about how much the company should contribute to Boggabri, should the Vickery coal mine get the state government's green light.

Whitehaven Coal's current voluntary payment agreement (VPA) is $2.71 million or roughly $108,000 for each of the 25 years the Vickery coal mine will operate.

Council is yet to respond to the offer.

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While the exact format of the community engagement is yet to be determined, Narrabri mayor Cathy Redding said it was important for council to have a conversation with the community before it agreed to any monetary contributions.

"A council should only ever enter in to a VPA it believes to be in the public interest," Cr Redding said.

"Understand the community view is an essential part of that consideration."

Cr Redding said council had been a strong advocate for the Boggabri community through the Vickery assessment process, arguing in multiple submissions to the state government the town needed tangible benefits from the mine, should it be approved.

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"The Boggabri community will feel the greatest impacts for the proposed mine over the next 25 years," Cr Redding said.

"It is therefore only right that Boggabri should realise tangible lasting benefits from Vickery."

Cr Redding said the move was consistent with council's policy that Boggabri should "accumulate benefits over and above other communities for projects within our shire".

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