Maules Creek Coal Mine preparing application to continue operating to 2043

Originally approved in 2013 to operate under a standard 21-year mine lease, an application seeking to continue is being prepared.

The application will enable increased flexibility in mining, with a "modest" increase to the production limit, a spokesperson for Whitehaven said.

Despite a community consultative committee meeting held on Wednesday, May 24, expansion plans were not announced.

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The sequencing of Whitehaven's internal governance and approval processes did not permit the mining giant from briefing the community meeting, the spokesperson said.

Roselyn Druce, who resides close enough to the mine that at times her house vibrates and shakes, she said, received a phone call from company representatives days later, alerting her that plans had been published online.

"There's a lot of issues here that do really affect, not just the locals, but probably anybody that's interested in the environment," she said.

Noise, pollution, and impacts on health and water are concerns for Ms Druce.

Starting a pathway of more emissions through to 2043 makes no sense to Narrabri cattle farmer and renewable energy company managing director Sally Hunter.

"Whitehaven continues to just ignore the existence of emissions and the need for a transition," she said.

"They're just digging in, literally, to a hole, embedding our community in something that has no future.

"I think there will come a time when the NSW government gets real about their emissions targets.

"We're definitely getting closer to that day, whether it's when this is submitted for an application or not, I don't know."

Approval of the continuation application will support significant employment and economic benefits in the region, the Whitehaven spokesperson said.

It will continue to employ about 800 people, with 20 per cent identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, and 75 per cent residing in the region.

The mine will be required to reduce its emissions from July 1 as part of the government's commitment to reduce industrial CO2 emissions by 43 per cent by 2030.

Preparation and lodgement of a scoping report is expected in late 2023, and will be followed by the project's Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The EIS assessing potential impacts on biodiversity will be placed on public exhibition to provide opportunities for questions.

The mine has coal reserves to support 40 years of production, which was acknowledged by the NSW government during the original approval process.

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