The Independent Planning Commission has determined to approve a $607-million extension of the Vickery coal mine near Boggabri with a raft of strict conditions to mitigate against environmental and social impacts.

Whitehaven Coal was granted planning approval for its Vickery Coal Project in September 2014 but is yet to construct the key infrastructure required to extract the approved 135 million tonnes of coal over 30 years.

It lodged a new state significant development application in 2018 seeking to:
• increase total coal extraction to 168 Mt (+24.4 per cent);
• increase the peak annual extraction rate from 4.5 to 10 million tonnes (+250 per cent), and
• increase the disturbance area by 776 hectares.

It has also sought to build a new coal handling and preparation plant at the Project Site, which would connect to the main Werris Creek-to-Mungindi railway line via a new rail spur across the Namoi River flood plain. Coal will then be transported to the Port of Newcastle by train.

The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment finalised its assessment of the Vickery Extension Project in May this year and it then came to the commission for determination.

The Minister for Planning and Public Spaces requested the Commission conduct a public hearing into the carrying out of the Project as part of its determination of the SSD application.

Commissioners John Hann (panel chair), professor Chris Fell AM and professor Zada Lipman were appointed to consider the SSD application and make a determination.

They met with the applicant, department, Narrabri Shire Council and Gunnedah Shire Council and conducted an inspection of the site and surrounding areas.

The Panel considered the views of 74 registered speakers who participated in an electronic Public Hearing on July 2 and 3, 2020, as well as those raised in written submissions to the commission.

The commission received 1928 ‘unique’ submissions – comprising 774 (40 per cent) in support, 1108 (57 per cent) against and 46 (2 per cent) neutral comments – as well as 935 campaign emails objecting to the application.

The Commission scrutinised several key issues, including water resources, rehabilitation, final void and landform, greenhouse gas emissions, socio-economic impacts, noise, air quality, impacts on agricultural land, road and rail transport, heritage, blasting and vibration, biodiversity, and visual amenity and lighting.

Whitehaven Coal welcomed the decision by the IPC to green light its Vickery Extension Project it said today.

Managing director and chief executive Paul Flynn welcomed the news and said Vickery would further cement Whitehaven’s growing stature as a key supplier to premium overseas markets.

Whitehaven’s focus will now shift to obtaining the necessary secondary approvals and any further project optimisation as a precursor to works commencing under the new approval.

Whitehaven Coal said that Vickery will be a predominantly metallurgical coal mine and will service established and emerging markets for high quality coal in the near region, and that Vickery will entail capital expenditure of $700 million is expected to generate employment for 500 people during the construction phase and 450 ongoing operational roles.

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