Glencore and Yancoal have released an environmental impact statement (EIS) outlining the proposed expansions and extensions of their Hunter Valley operations – but critics are not happy.
The major coal miners announced last week that plans were in place to expand the Moolarben Coal Complex and the nearby Ulan site in the NSW Hunter Valley.
The Moolarben Coal Complex currently holds approval for operations until December 31 2038.
The miners defended the proposal amid fierce opposition, saying “there would be no change to currently approved extraction limits and mining would largely be serviced by existing surface infrastructure”.
If approved, the expanded mine is set to produce an additional 400 million tonnes of coal by 2050, with the vast majority being exported and burnt in overseas power plants.
Lock the Gate Alliance NSW co-ordinator Nic Clyde said the fact the NSW Government was considering the project showed the country’s approach to emission reduction was ineffective.
“Unfortunately, the NSW Government has a track record of backing new and expanded coal mining, and has failed to adopt policies to prevent coal mines from blowing NSW’s 2030 and 2050 emission targets,” he said.
The NSW Government has announced a new target of reducing emissions by 70 per cent by 2035. The previous goal was a 50 per cent reduction by 2030.
A NSW Labor spokesperson told The Sydney Morning Herald that they supported the independent processes which assessed resource proposals but would not comment further on the implication of the project on emission targets.