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Media Releases |
Media Release - Minister's Office Sydney: 3 April 2009 NSW GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGES INVESTMENT AND PROTECTS ENVIRONMENT The NSW Planning Minister, Kristina Keneally, today announced the approval for an extension to the Hunter Valley Operations mining complex with stringent management conditions that will guide its operations until 2030.
The approval consolidates 35 consents and approvals into a single, modern planning approval, cutting unnecessary red tape, strengthening the controls on the mining operations at HVO, and making it easier for the community to understand the conditions to which the company must comply.
Ms Keneally said the approval will encourage investment in the mining industry, provide certainty during difficult economic times and has the potential to attract an additional $130 million of capital investment to the Hunter region.
“The NSW Government is committed to providing increased certainty in these uncertain times by encouraging investment through cutting red tape and optimising reporting obligations,” Ms Keneally said.
”Allowing Coal and Allied to increase their coal extraction from 12.4 million tones per year to 16 million tonnes per year will benefit the economy of the Hunter region, while the stringent management conditions will help protect the environment.
“The proponent originally requested a shortening of the buffer distance between the mine and the Hunter River from 150 metres to 100 metres and during the public exhibition period environmental concerns about the shortening of the buffer distance were raised.
“After assessing submissions and undertaking a tour of the HVO site to gain a better understanding of how the mine operated, I decided that reducing the buffer distance was not acceptable at this stage and reinforced the original 150 metre buffer.”
Management conditions imposed on the project include:
• A prohibition on coal truck traffic on all public roads, with all coal from the HVO mining complex to be transported by rail; • The provision of acquisition rights for four properties close to the mining operations and noise mitigation on request for a number of other properties; • Real-time noise and dust monitoring; • A 150-metre buffer distance between the mining operations and the Hunter River; and • An offset plan for the clearing of native vegetation, with the company to extend its program for restoring Hunter River Red Gum populations beside the Hunter River and Wollombi Brook.
The HVO South Coal project is expected to contribute around $350 million each year to the State economy.
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