Potential mining of the Tahmoor North reserves has faced various greentape constraints starting from the first environmental impact statement lodged with the New South Wales government back in 1993.

The colliery has received consent for a continuous mining area for Tahmoor North, with the exception of Area 3 which is under the Redbank Tunnel.

Xstrata aims to gain approval to increase the subsidence limits that will allow mining in this area as part of a plan to deviate the rail around the tunnel.

While a state government environmental application will be made, Xstrata has already submitted an application for federal government approval. The application was publicly released this week.

Under the application, prepared by consultancy GHD, Xstrata plans to mine under the tunnel in the 2012-13 financial year.

The preferred track deviation path will result in about 1.2 hectares of native vegetation being cleared.

Apart from dual standard gauge rail track, construction includes 10m access tracks on both sides of the rail, temporary haul roads, bulk earthworks and relocating three farm dams.

The project will also fill, stabilise and seal the Redbank Tunnel.

An overbridge will need to be built at the northern end of the deviation, power-related infrastructure must be relocated and new signalling infrastructure is required for the new rail route.

An Xstrata spokesman told ILN the company was considering options for the expansion of Tahmoor.

He said the rail deviation would assist with productivity and delivery while the private landowner of the affected area has approved the plan.

There are three endangered ecological communities in the proposed rail deviation area, including one critically endangered community, but GHD does not expect any significant impacts under the track project.

The federal application was made to meet the requirements of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

Tahmoor back to business

Tahmoor’s lengthy industrial relations nightmare last year featured a workforce lockout, strikes, rolling stoppages, various Fair Work Australia hearings and union accusations of a “strike breaker” workforce at the mine.

There was also an incident where two men taped fireworks to the ute of Tahmoor operations manager Darren Nicholls at his Mount Kembla property.

Reports suggested the fireworks were lit but a security guard arrived in time to extinguish them while the men escaped.

But the hatchets have been buried and the longwall has performed well since the new enterprise agreement was ratified in October.

“Everyone has got back to business – it’s a decent place to be,” the Xstrata spokesman told ILN.

He added that workers were happy with the new EA, according to feedback received, and the operation was “ticking along”