New South Wales bill would allow coal mine expansion

New South Wales has introduced legislation that would allow a major coal mine to keep operating despite a High Court ruling last month against its expansion.

Mach Energy had sought permission to extend the life of the open-cut Mount Pleasant coal mine in the Hunter Valley, north of Sydney, by more than 20 years until 2048.

The High Court ruled last month that the expansion should be halted because planning bodies had not properly considered local impacts from emissions linked to the coal.

The New South Wales government said the bill would address what it called “unique legal uncertainty” after the ruling and protect up to 400 jobs at the mine. It said the legislation would allow the mine to continue at its current production and workforce profile and produce up to 16.5 million tonnes a year until 2032.

Premier Chris Minns told the ABC that the state remained committed to renewable energy and climate action, but said he reserved the right to intervene to protect jobs and grow the economy where he believed it was warranted.

Environmental campaigners argued that greenhouse gas emissions increase the likelihood of bushfires, floods and drought. Wendy Wales and Tony Lonergan, retired science teachers who fought the planned expansion, opposed the government's move.

Australia is one of the world's major exporters of coal and liquefied natural gas and is leading climate negotiations at this week's COP31 conference in Turkey.