Coalpac seeks planning approval

COALPAC Pty Ltd

Coalpac Pty Ltd, is currently seeking state planning approval through the Department of Planning for the Coalpac Consolidation Project, located approximately 25 kilometres north-west of Lithgow.

The environmental assessment is on public exhibition for an extended period from Tuesday 10 April 2012 until Friday 1 June 2012.

All relevant project documents are publicly available on the department’s website at http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=4332

The proposal includes:

• Consolidating development consents and project approvals at both the Invincible and Cullen Valley coal mines so that one approval regulates mining across both sites;
• Expanding open cut and high wall mining areas, to extract an additional 108 million tonnes of coal;
• Upgrading and building associated infrastructure to process 3.5 million tonnes of coal per annum and transport coal off the site by road and rail;
• Producing up to 640,000 tonnes of sand products each year;
• Clearing approximately 960 hectares of vegetation, primarily within Ben Bullen State Forest; and
• Rehabilitating the site.

The proposal includes a biodiversity offset strategy, which would potentially allocate more than 1,755 hectares of land as biodiversity offsets.

Coalpac is proposing to employ up to 120 operational staff and additional contractors for the 21-year life of the project.

The project will also require Commonwealth approval under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

From Tuesday 10 April, the environmental assessment for the project will be available to view during business hours at:

• Cullen Bullen General Store – Castlereagh Highway, Cullen Bullen
• Department of Planning and Infrastructure – Information Centre, 23-33 Bridge Street, Sydney;
• Lithgow City Council – 180 Mort Street, Lithgow CBD;
• Lithgow Council Library Portland Branch – Williwa Street, Portland; and
• Nature Conservation Council – Level 2, 5 Wilson Street, Newtown.

Submissions can be:
· Lodged online at www.planning.nsw.gov.au;
· Emailed to plan_comment@planning.nsw.gov.au;
· Faxed to (02) 9228 6466; or
· Posted to Mining and Industry Projects, Department of Planning and Infrastructure,
GPO Box 39, SYDNEY NSW 2001.