A proposal to expand Boggabri Coal’s mining operations has been unveiled as the State Significant Development goes on public exhibition.
The company has sought a modification, referred to as MOD 8, to amend its operations to increase the approved maximum depth of mining to recover an additional 61.6 million tonnes of run of mine coal within the currently approved boundary.
The change is expected to have a net production benefit of $513 million.
Of that amount, $293 million will benefit the federal government while $240 million would go to the NSW government.
These benefits are in the form of company tax paid to the Commonwealth (and apportioned to the NSW government) as well as royalties paid to the NSW government.
In its modification report, Boggabri Coal says the project would result in direct economic activity, including jobs, to the local economy.
It says indirect economic activity to benefit the area would come from wage and non-wage expenditure.
“MOD 8 will result in incremental increases to the net income and net employment for the regional economy (relative to the base case), averaging at $8 million in additional net income and a further 80 full-time jobs between 2022 and 2039,” the report reads.
This proposed expansion would also result in the mine’s life being extended by six years.
As part of the proposal, the company will construct a specifically designed fauna movement crossing over the existing haul road between the Overburden Emplacement Area and the western side of a regional biodiversity corridor.
“The establishment of the fauna movement crossing is proposed to improve the movement of fauna from the Leard State Forest through the Southern Rehabilitation Area,” Boggabri Coal’s modification report reads.
The planned modification is a State Significant Development and the proposal can be seen online at the Department of Planning website. The proposed modification will be on exhibition until September 9.
Public submissions can be made online.
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