The mine, which is 80% owned by Yancoal, is currently operating in accordance with the Stage 1 project approval granted in 2007.

Yancoal and Gloucester Coal are planning a $8 billion merger.

The mine extracts up to 8Mtpa of coal from open cut mining and 4Mtpa of coal from underground mining.

The proposed stage 2 expansion was publicly exhibited by the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure from March 18, 2009 to April 29, 2009, and attracted 177 submissions.

A response to submissions and preferred project report on the Stage 2 proposal has now been submitted to the department.

The department said it had received significant public interest to the proposed expansion, prompting it to undertake additional public consultation to enable the community to comment on the revised proposal contained in the PPR.

The revised PPR does not propose any changes in the extraction or production rate of coal but includes a revised biodiversity offset strategy, modifying the open cut pit disturbance area and relocating and modifying mine and ancillary infrastructure.

The preferred project report is on public exhibition until February 24.

Submissions received during the exhibition will be considered as part of the department’s assessment of the project.

Following this, the proposal will be referred to the independent Planning Assessment Commission to determine.