Above: Stephanie Darley, middle, pictured with her parents Jenny and Errol Darley. The Darley family live on the property ‘Merrigle’, Boggabri and are opposed to Whitehaven Coal’s proposed Vickery mine extension project.
The Independent Planning Commission has handed down a report into Whitehaven Coal’s proposed Vickery mine extension and identified a ‘raft of issues’ with the project.
Whitehaven coal is seeking approval to incorporate and extend the mining and ancillary activities of the Vickery Coal Project near Boggabri.
The proposed changes include extending the footprint of the open cut coal mine to the north and south, and increasing the amount of coal extracted over the next 25 years.
Whitehaven’s proposal also includes plans to construct and operate a coal handling and processing plant, train load-out facility, rail loop and rail spur line at the project site.
The mining company also wants to construct and operate a water supply bore field and pipeline, as well as change the final landform by removing the eastern overburden emplacement area, increasing the size of the approved western overburden emplacement area and retaining one pit lake void, rather than two.
“There are several issues where uncertainty remains about the predicted impacts of the Project,” the Commission stated in its Issues report.
To order photos from this page click here
