1.2.3.1 Coal

Current coal exploration tenements are concentrated around areas of current coal mining in the central eastern part of the subregion, between Narrabri and Quirindi (see Figure 9). Figure 9 shows identified coal deposits and operating mines in the subregion. Some of the projects marked as coal deposits in Figure 9 have recently received NSW and Australian Government approval: the Maules Creek Project, the Tarrawonga and Boggabri extensions and the Vickery Coal Project (Table 5).

The Maules Creek Project is one of the most recent and largest coal mining operations in NSW to have received approval from the NSW and Australian Governments to extract coal from the Maules Creek Formation via open-cut methods. Extensions of the Tarrawonga and Boggabri mines have also recently been given approval from the NSW and Australian Governments. The Vickery Coal Project received approval to operate from the NSW Government in September 2014. Coal exploration prospects are concentrated around areas of current large coal mining, with the Watermark, Caroona, Vickery South and Goonbri deposits being considered for potential development at present.

Table 5 Summary of recently approved coal mines in the Namoi subregion

Source: adapted from SWS (2011)

A = authorisation; CL = coal lease; ML = mining lease; MLA = mining lease application

^aProponent has indicated it may seek to continue mining in this area beyond the currently proposed 21-year mine plan

Full company names are: ICRA Limited (ICRA), Idemitsu Australia Resources Pty Ltd (Idemitsu), J Power Electric Power Development Co., Ltd (J Power), Whitehaven Coal Limited (Whitehaven Coal)