Coal & Allied has received NSW Government planning approvals to develop the Mount Pleasant mine in the Upper Hunter Valley near Muswellbrook. The project hosts a resource of 984 million tonnes of thermal coal, including marketable reserves of 285Mt.
Coal & Allied's managing director, Dr Kim Tronson, said this was the first step in obtaining the full gamut of approvals and that a construction timetable would be determined by this and market demand.
"This planning approval will enable Coal & Allied to respond to the anticipated demand for coal in the next decade and beyond. It is a long-term investment," he said.
Once proposed development of the project has been given the go-ahead, project manager John Dwyer said it could be brought on stream reasonably quickly because the area was well endowed with infrastructure including rail links.
Mount Pleasant is forecast to yield 142 million tonnes of saleable coal over 21 years. Estimated output of initial operations has been put at about 3Mt per annum, ramping up to 8Mtpa eventually.
The mine requires an investment of about $400 million and has the potential to create over 300 jobs.
Dr Tronson said that from the project outset in 1992, Coal & Allied had worked with the community to develop a mine that added to the strengths of the Upper Hunter. In preparing its plans, the company had conducted one of the most comprehensive community liaison and consultation programs ever undertaken in the Hunter.
