Hunter Coal Mines A-Z
Bengalla (New Hope) has bought up land to ensure that mining can continue. The mine is located directly next to and upwind of Muswellbrook; locals are referring to it as “Death Valley“ or the “Gates of hell” with poor visibility and air quality. Air pollution becomes severe from about 28˚C. The mine is 200-350 m deep and is expanding rapidly, growing by 100 m just over the past few weeks. The mine is currently scheduled to close in 2039, but there is an application to extend mining until 2048 and expand in size. New Hope has already submitted a proposal for a smaller expansion in case they lose the court case brought by locals. The supposedly rehabilitated area around its massive overburden hills is desolate, and there are concerns that it will invite invasive weeds, as New Hope doesn’t manage weeds.
Glendell (Glencore) – an expansion has been applied for but has so far been rejected on heritage grounds because it would affect the Ravensworth homestead, which is of sad cultural significance because it is the site of atrocities committed against indigenous people. Whereas colonial/frontier war sites are often undocumented and easily erased, Ravensworth is an exception and holds strong documentary evidence value, including the Ravensworth massacre. If this homestead is listed as a cultural site, the site would become accessible, mining would stop, and Ravensworth could become a cultural heritage anchor point in the valley.
The mining permit expires on 30 June, and the extension permit is currently caught up in the EPA process.
Swiss mining company Glencore: There is a “fit and proper” test for coal mining companies in NSW. According to the US Dept of Justice, Glencore has pleaded guilty of criminal bribery of staggering dimensions. It was also found guilty of systematic and sustained criminal bribery in the UK and fined hundreds of millions of pounds. Here in NSW, it is in a dispute with the EDO. Glencore is the single largest negative influence on climate action in Australia.
Hunter Valley Operations (Glencore/Yancoal) consists of two open-cut coal mine sites separated by the Hunter River, HVO North and HVO South is currently over 660 ha.
Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) has applied to expand the north mine from 2030 to 2045 and the south mine from 2025 to 2050, producing an additional 437.6 million tonnes of thermal coal and 59.7 million tonnes of metallurgical coal for the export market. If approved, the project would involve the extraction of 400 million tonnes of coal and produce lifecycle emissions totalling 1.2 billion tonnes (Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions). This is one of the biggest coal mine expansions ever proposed in NSW and the largest of the current 19 expansion projects.
No decision has been made yet, but we need to be prepared for a potential approval. There is a 12-week period for submissions to the IPC from the time the Department of Planning hands over its assessment to the IPC.
Lock the Gate page on the HVO expansion
Moolarben (Yancoal) expansion would have huge impacts on local wildlife, including the clearing of 113 ha of koala habitat. This application has been referred to the Independent Planning Commission (IPC).
Mt Arthur (BHP), one of the biggest mines in the valley covering 700 ha, is scheduled to close 2030, and BHP want to leave a “positive legacy”, so there is consultation. The mine is 24 km long, and the coal seam has proven unviable as BHP would now need to access lower coal seams, which are more expensive to mine and cause greater fugitive emissions – the deeper the coal, the less likely the methane has already escaped/been disturbed so the more methane emissions released.
The area was also the site of a massacre of indigenous people.
Mt Pleasant (MACH Energy) wants to double production from 11 mt to 21 mt per year to 2048. The coal seams are closer to the surface, making it financially more attractive.
In 2022, the NSW Independent Planning Commission approved an expansion of the Mount Pleasant mine (MACH Energy). DAMSHEG applied for judicial review of the decision to the Land and Environment Court, asking to have the decision declared invalid due to the health impacts of the mine on the community, the climate impacts of the coal from the mine, and the indirect impacts on the local environment. The action is supported by the EDO.
Background reading (Women’s Weekly article): The Fight for Mount Pleasant
Muswellbrook Coal (Idemitsu) has a 115-year history of mining and closed in late 2022; a pumped hydro energy storage project is well under way, and a solar farm has been applied for. Both projects are currently going through state approval processes.
Rix’s Creek (Bloomfield Group) is relatively small; there’s an application to extend mining until 2049.
Nanna Bernie, who was on the tour, has a connection to mining in the Hunter Valley. Her great grandfather took coal mined from Rix’s Creek (founded in 1862) to the Paris Exhibition, where it impressed buyers and therefore attracted European interest in Hunter mining.
Warkworth Mount Thorley (Yancoal) is currently the largest Hunter mine at 880 ha. It was bought by Yancoal from Rio Tinto in 2017.
In 2012, the community appealed against an application for a mine expansion and won the case. The NSW government supported Rio Tinto in a subsequent action, and the community won again. However, the NSW government then stopped merit-based appeals and changed policies so that the mine was eventually approved when the application was resubmitted.
Rio Tinto bought up buildings and land by compulsory acquisition. These are now used to house miners during their shift times, replacing the local community. Leases are signed on condition that people won’t complain, and that no responsibility is taken for health consequences. There is extensive documented noise and air pollution, but no action is ever taken.
Note that there is no safe level of PM2.5 (very fine particle) pollution in the air. The EPA doesn’t investigate incidents of air pollution exceeding limits as it says that they don’t know which mine caused it. However, John says it’s obvious from the direction of the wind blowing. The EPA alerts residents every time mine exceeds dust emissions and tells them to stay inside – more than 100 days so far this year!
An irreplaceable endangered woodland has been destroyed; local dairies have been bought up and closed – there were 23 and now are only six. New industries were meant to be brought in, but there is no evidence of this.
The Department of Planning is stacked with mining executives and supporters.
Have a look at this YouTube video from the ABC – The Battle for Bulga | The Weekly with Tom Gleeson
Hunter Coal-fired Power Stations
Liddell power station has already closed and will be dismantled. Its cooling water lake is being used for recreational purposes. Local landowners were forced to give up their land for the lake.
Bayswater power station is scheduled to close in 2033.