Planning Minister Frank Sartor and Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald have appointed a panel of five experts to conduct the inquiry and hold public hearings, set to commence next year.

Sartor said from 2010 all proposed extensions to underground coal mining leases would require approval under Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

“I have received a number of strong representations about community views on mining in the southern coal field from the ALP candidate for Wollondilly, Phil Costa, the Member for Camden, Geoff Corrigan, and the Member for Campbelltown, Graham West,” Sartor said.

“In light of these representations, and changes to the assessment system for extensions to existing coal mines, an independent inquiry into these issues is timely.”

Macdonald said members of the public would be invited to make submissions to the expert panel and present their views at public hearings.

“The coal industry provides direct employment for more than 12,500 NSW residents and is an integral part of the state’s economy,” Macdonald said.

“The value for coal production last financial year is forecast at around $8.5 billion, and coal exports generate $6.7 billion a year for NSW.”

He said the inquiry would provide a sound technical foundation for the assessment and long-term management of underground mining in the southern coal field.

Illawarra Coal general manager of sustainable development Wendy Tyrrell said Illawarra Coal welcomed the review and recognised the experience and skills of its panel of experts.

“Illawarra Coal has been operating in the southern coal fields for close to 80 years,” she said.

“We are committed to environmentally sustainable mining in order to provide our ongoing economic benefits to the region and state.”

Tyrrell said the company’s recent applications to mine Appin areas 7 and 3 were strong examples of its ability to address and manage environmental impacts, taking into account all requirements of the regulatory authorities and stakeholders.

The NSW Minerals Council also welcomed the inquiry.

“There is obviously a degree of genuine community concern about the impacts of longwall mining on natural features, particularly water in the Southern Coalfields. The industry is equally genuine in its commitment to addressing those concerns,” NSWMC Chief Executive Dr Nikki Williams said.

The independent expert panel will consider:

• The effects of current and historic underground coal mining on rivers, creeks, swamps and cliff lines in the southern coal field;
• World’s best practice in the assessment, management and remediation of impacts associated with underground mining;
• Key factors which should be considered by Government in assessing and regulating underground mining near rivers, under Part 3A of the EP&A Act; and
• The social and economic importance of current and future coal mining in the southern coal field to the region and the state.

Panel members are:

• Professor Bruce Hebblewhite (chair) – subsidence expert, head of the School of Mining Engineering at the University of New South Wales and executive director of Mining Education Australia;
• Professor Jim Galvin – subsidence expert, managing director of Galvin and Associates and visiting professor of mining engineering at the University of New South Wales;
• Col Mackie – groundwater expert and principal at Mackie Environmental Research with more than 30 years experience in undertaking groundwater assessments for major projects, including numerous underground coal mining projects;
• Associate Professor Ron West – aquatic ecology expert from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Wollongong and a member of the NSW Fisheries Scientific Committee (Threatened Aquatic Species);
• Drew Collins – managing director of the BDA Group and a leading expert in undertaking social and economic analyses for major projects. Collins was employed for many years with the NSW Environment Protection Authority and has since been appointed to numerous state and federal government panels and committees.