But the mining company has encountered opposition from locals, who say longwall mining could badly damage the area, causing cracks in the riverbed and the gorge's 100m-high cliff face.
Tahmoor Colliery Community Consultative Committee spokesman David Hunt said an independent inquiry by engineering consultants Pells Sullivan Meynink found the proposed mining would cause irreparable damage to the area, which is one of Wollondilly Shire’s natural wonders.
This conflicted with an earlier assessment commissioned by Centennial Coal, which found mining at the New South Wales Tahmoor Colliery would pose little risk to the river and gorge.
Tahmoor general manager Gavin Taylor said Centennial was committed to operating in an environmentally responsible manner at all times.
“The company has commissioned an extensive subsidence assessment for the Tahmoor Colliery, which was carried out over several months using data collected over a number of years. The assessment was produced by one of the pre-eminent subsidence engineers in the industry,” he said.
He said Tahmoor had an outstanding track record and a firm commitment to ongoing consultation with the local community.
“We understand that subsidence is an important matter for the council and the community. This is why we have commissioned such a highly detailed subsidence and environmental assessment as well as undertaking an active and ongoing consultation program with the local community,” Taylor said.
“Tahmoor has been developed and designed in accordance with the findings of this detailed assessment. The mining proposal has considered all of the environmental assessment requirements of the Government and includes detailed subsidence and environmental monitoring proposals.”
Hunt said mining had already cracked the bed of the Cataract River and there had also been rockfalls and he wanted Centennial Coal to reconsider its plans to mine near the Bargo River Gorge.
Centennial has submitted a subsidence management plan for Tahmoor to the Department of Primary Industries, which will make an independent assessment of the mining application, in consultation with a government inter-agency committee.
Wollondilly Council has also prepared a submission to NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald.
Taylor said the mine remained committed to transparent and active involvement in the Community Consultative Committee and looked forward to discussing the critique of the detailed subsidence assessment commissioned by the committee.
