Bulga Coal Management, a subsidiary of Glencore Coal Limited, proposes to expand and continue the Bulga open cut mining operations to access 205 million tonnes of coal from seams within and beneath the existing open cut mine until 2035.

The mine is the southernmost mining operation in the Upper Hunter coal fields and has been operating since 1982.

Economic benefits expected from the project include $565 million in royalties for the NSW government, continued employment for the 700 people that work at the open cut mine and an additional 300 jobs during the construction phase.

Shenhua Watermark Coal is proposing to develop the Watermark Coal Project, a new open cut mine 3km west of the village of Breeza and 25km southeast of Gunnedah on the Liverpool Plains.

Under the proposal, coal would be extracted at up to 10Mtpa of coal over 30 years, recovering a coal reserve of about 268Mt.

The project has a capital investment value of $850 million and would generate about 600 jobs during the 18-month construction period and 600 jobs during operations.

The Planning Assessment Commission will now hold public hearings and report back to the department on its findings and recommendations. This information will then be used by the department finalise its assessments.

After receiving the department’s final assessments, the Planning Assessment Commission will determine each proposal.