Following the landslide victory in the March 26 election, the Coalition of the Liberal and National parties announced its new cabinet on April 3, and the first meeting of this cabinet decided to scrap Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.

The premier said transitional arrangements would be put in place to deal with the more than 500 Part 3A applications already in the system.

He expects about half of them to be referred to the Planning Assessment Commission for determinations.

But the “arrangements” appear to have not yet been made at all.

“Details of the interim arrangements that will apply to applications remaining in the system are yet to be considered by cabinet,” a department spokesperson told ILN.

“The Department of Planning and Infrastructure is unable to comment further at this stage.”

This response to questions about the future of the applications under assessment provides little comfort for the state’s underground coal sector.

Projects still listed as under assessment on the department’s website include Xstrata Coal’s application to extend mining at the West Wallsend longwall mine for another 12 years.

Centennial Coal’s project to extend the life of its Awaba underground mine by four years until 2015 had also reached the assessment stage, after it was lodged more than a year ago.

BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal’s significant Bulli Seam Operations project to pave the future for its Appin and West Cliff longwall mines was under assessment, along with its gas drainage project modification for West Cliff.

The company’s project to build a new upcast ventilation shaft at its Appin longwall mine, submitted in late May 2010, was also in the line for a verdict.

Gujarat NRE Coking Coal’s continued operations project for the Wongawilli colliery, which includes mining in the Nebo area, was under assessment, along with the preliminary works project for the company’s nearby NRE No. 1 mine.

Yancoal Australia planned to ramp up the Ashton operations and the mine’s separate southeast open cut proposal was also being assessed.

Coal and Allied had four items under assessment, covering proposed modifications for the Mt Thorley, Bengalla and Hunter Valley Operations mines, modifications for the approved Mount Pleasant project, plus the Warkworth Extension project.

Donaldson Coal had reached the assessment stage for a modification to its approved Abel underground mine, which would allow the construction and operation of an upcast ventilation shaft.

Economics consultancy ACIL Tasman recently delved into the potential impact of scrapping Part 3A and assumed it would cause widespread delays for new coal mines and expansions for at least two years.

“An important finding from the survey was the almost immediate impact on production of coal that would arise with any delay in licence approvals,” the consultancy said.

“This occurs because producers, particularly coal producers, are continuously applying for licences to produce from new areas in existing tenements.”