$513 million Boggabri Coal Mine extension plan by operator Idemitsu a global warming threat, residents claim

That was the theme of 48 of 50 public submissions into a proposal by mining company Idemitsu to extend the life of the mine to 2039.

Boggabri resident Roselyn Druce said the mine would generate an additional 152 million tones of greenhouse gasses if the extension was approved.

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The Independent Planning Commission recently refused to approve the Hume Coal Mine on the basis that the mine would have generated just 107 Mt of greenhouses gasses, she said.

The expanded mine would also create an unacceptable impact on surrounding residents, she said.

"Ongoing threats and concerns of toxic blast fumes, to the shaking of houses 12 [kilometres] from this mine is of real concern to locals who can report these incidents, but only get a reply stating that everything was compliant within allowable noise, blasting, vibration limits. It doesn't feel that way when the whole house shakes," she said.

Maules Creek resident Phil Laird said the impacts of climate change "vastly outweigh" any economic benefit gained by expanding coal mining.

"There is no way that the Climate Change impacts can be mitigated by 'strict' or 'stringent' conditions," he said.

A spokesperson for Idemitsu said the modification to the mine would allow the company to extend the life of the mine within the currently approved mining area, minimising environmental impacts.

"The company will respond to submissions as per the planning process," he said.

The open-cut coal mine has been in operation since 2006, and is currently scheduled to shut down in 2033.

The proposed modification would allow the company to extract an additional 61.6 million tonnes of coal.

The company would employ an additional 80 people on top of its current workforce of 500 full time equivalent employees, if approved.

An anonymous resident of Maules Creek used the public submissions process to complain that the mine created "ongoing physical, emotional stress".

"Blasting and drifts towards my house," the submission read.

"Vibrations from the blasts already experienced continuing. Increase in dust and air pollution. Extreme noise 24/7. Loss of water experienced."

Phillip Enderby of Speers Point, and Christopher Knight of Greta, near Maitland, both told the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment that the mine should be approved due to its economic benefits.

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