1.2.2.1.10 Bloomfield Coal Mine

Bloomfield Coal Mine is owned by Bloomfield Collieries Pty Ltd, part of The Bloomfield Group. Coal has been mined at this location for over 100 years and the current open-cut operations are approved until 31 December 2021 (Bloomfield Group, 2013, p. 5). The mine is at Buttai, 4 km south-west of Cessnock, and approximately 20 km north-west of Newcastle (Bloomfield Group, 2008, p. E.1). Current operations are approved to mine 0.88 Mt/year ROM coal, with future stages (stage 2, year 1–5, stage 3, years 5–7 and stage 4, years 7–10) proposing to gradually increase production to a maximum of 1.3 Mt/year ROM coal. The project is currently at Stage 2. The final project stage (stage 5) will involve site rehabilitation (approximately years 10 to 12 of the project) (Bloomfield Group, 2008, p. E.2; NSW Government, 2009, p. 19).

Coal is extracted at Bloomfield from the Tomago Coal Measures (NSW Department of Planning, 2013, p. 4). Open-cut mining first occurred in 1964, and underground mining also occurred until 1992 (Bloomfield Group, 2013, p. 5). Multi-seam truck and excavator or face shovel operations are undertaken in sequential mining blocks (Bloomfield Group, 2008, p. E.2).

Current assessments of economically recoverable reserves indicate approximately 14 Mt ROM coal remaining in the project area (Bloomfield Group, 2008, p. E.2). Coal is processed at the on-site CHPP. Product coal is mainly of thermal quality although some semi-soft coking coal is also produced and mostly exported to Asian markets (Bloomfield Group, 2013, p. 5).

Bloomfield Mine site facilities are shared by Bloomfield Mine and Yancoal’s nearby Donaldson Mine and Abel Mine (Yancoal, 2013). The project area covers approximately 317 ha of which 299 ha are presently disturbed by mining-related activities (Bloomfield Group, 2008, p. E.1). Pit water inflow and runoff is transferred to Lake Kennerson for use at the CHPP (NSW Department of Planning, 2013, p. 4). Progressive rehabilitation is undertaken at open-cut pits, with the aim to rehabilitate the site in accordance with pre-mining land capability to support future industrial land use (if required). Final rehabilitation is expected to take two years (NSW Department of Planning, 2013, p. 4).