The New South Wales (NSW) Department of Planning and Environment has approved a plan to expand underground mining operations at Glencore’s Ulan coal mine in the western coalfields of NSW.

According to a press release from the Department of Planning and Environment, the key assessment issues included “potential subsidence impacts, groundwater and surface water impacts and the effects of Aboriginal heritage sites and biodiversity values.”

“The department has closely assessed all issues raised during consultation and addressed these concerns in its assessment and conditions of approval,” the press release continued.

“The company is required to meet strict subsidence performance measures and update all approved management plans to reflect the changes to the mine, including the water, biodiversity and heritage management plans.”

The changes to the mine plan will allow the mine to extract a further 13 million t of coal and increase the project area by 275 ha. It also extends the life of the operation by two years until 2033.

The department received seven submission regarding the proposed mine expansion, including one public objection. Five submissions were received from the state government agencies with no objections.

Ulan coal mine is a joint venture between Glencore, which owns a 90% stake, and Mitsubishi Development.

Edited by Jonathan Rowland.