The approval comes with obligations relating to greenhouse gas emissions, including implementing measures to limit coal exports to jurisdictions that have policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement, maximising the use of renewable energy at the mine and purchasing additional carbon offsets.
The development application and its assessment were referred to the Commission by the Department of Planning, Housing, and Infrastructure on 12 June 2026. In reaching this decision, the three-member Commission Panel of Simon Smith (Chair), Janett Milligan, and Michael Chilcott considered:
10 576 written submissions
129 verbal submissions from members of the public and subject-matter experts over a three-day Public Hearing.
Direct meetings with:
The Applicant (Hunter Valley Operations Pty Ltd).
Muswellbrook Shire and Singleton Councils.
NSW Department of Planning, Housing, and Infrastructure.
NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
The Net Zero Commission.
Applicable State and national policies, which the Commission is required by law to consider.
Advice from key regulators on potential conditions of consent.
The Commission carefully considered issues raised in community submissions and expert materials, with many submissions providing evidence on the climate change impacts of greenhouse gas emissions from the project, and the social, employment, and economic benefits of its continuation.
In its Statement for Reasons for Decision the Commission recognised that the proposed emission of 809 million t of greenhouse gases from local mining operations and coal combustion overseas would contribute to climate change impacts on the people, economy, and environment of the Hunter region, NSW, and globally.
In balancing these impacts against the significant employment, business, social and economic benefits of the mine extension, the Commission has imposed conditions that effectively manage the greenhouse gas impacts of the project within the parameters of the NSW and Commonwealth statutory and policy regimes, and the international Paris Agreement which they both reference:
Within six months, the Applicant must prepare and publish a Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Plan in consultation with the EPA that transparently demonstrates how it is reducing and/or offsetting Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions generated by this project, including fugitive emissions from the mine’s operation.
The Applicant is required to purchase carbon offsets in addition to offsets purchased in compliance with the Commonwealth Safeguard Mechanism.
Reduce Scope 2 emissions from purchased electricity. Consistent with requirements for new data centres, the Applicant is required to take reasonable and feasible measures to maximise the use of renewable energy for the development within four years of commencement.
Within three months, the Applicant must prepare and publish a Scope 3 Management Plan that transparently demonstrates how it is limiting coal exported from the mine to jurisdictions with greenhouse gas emissions policies consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Within 12 months, the Applicant must prepare and publish a comprehensive Closure Management Plan in close consultation with Muswellbrook Shire and Singleton Councils and the local community that transparently demonstrates how the mine will transition to closure in a way that supports the workforce and local community.
These plans must be prepared to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Department of Planning, Housing, and Infrastructure and updated at various times throughout the life of the mine.
The Commission has also applied conditions to avoid, minimise and manage a range of biodiversity, water, noise, dust, and other impacts.
The approval with conditions supports local workers, businesses, and communities to optimise a gradual transition to new economic opportunities as the world transitions away from coal.
