Whirehaven Coal’s Maules Creek Coal Project has been granted approval by the New South Wales Planning Assessment Commission, subject to what it calls ‘stringent conditions’.

 

The two year approval process for the project commenced in August 2010, and has included extensive community and stakeholder consultation and the release of a number of environmental impact assessments.

 

“We welcome the determination by the Planning Assessment Commission and are committed to working within the stringent conditions that have been placed on the Project,” Whitehaven Coal Managing Director Mr Tony Haggarty said.

 

The project will see the construction of one of the world’s largest open-cut coal mines, and will extract as much as 12 million tonnes of raw coal a year.

 

“The Maules Creek Project is one of the best coal development projects in the world with a large reserve of high quality coal, a low stripping ratio of 6.4:1,” Mr Haggerty said.

 

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