The tenement, located 50km west of Melbourne, has an exploration target of 1-2 billion tonnes of brown coal but is facing stiff community opposition.

Workers conducting exploration drilling at the project were forced to stop work yesterday after approximately 20 anti-coal protestors walked onto Mantle Mining’s drill site.

One of the protestors identified by the Melton Leader as Natasha Mills reportedly chained herself to a drill rig on the site.

According to the local new service Mills, who is seven-and-a-half months pregnant, was concerned for the potential impacts the proposed mine would have on the community.

“I felt a responsibility to stop drilling today because I’m determined to protect my family from a dangerous coal mine and I don’t want my children’s future to be marked by run-away climate change,’’ Mills was quoted as saying.

“This is an area that has huge food growth, if we whack a huge coal mine here what are we going to eat?’’

Police were called in to remove the demonstrators but no charges have been laid.

The Bacchus Marsh project continues to run into community opposition.

Community concerns for the mine generated by locals last year prompted Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu to assure residents the proposed mine was still in its early stages, with no mining licence for the project being granted.

Despite this, Mantle has already signed a deal with Exergen to jointly develop the mine.

Mantle Mining is undertaking a stage 2 drilling program at Bacchus Marsh with the intention of defining an inferred resource at the tenement.