Name of the Project
Wallarah 2 coal project.

Location
The project will be developed near Wyong, on the Central Coast of Australia.

Project Owner/s
Wyong Areas Coal Joint Venture (WACJV).

Project Description
Wallarah 2 has a coal resource of 375-million tonnes.

The project entails the development of a new underground coal mine using longwall mining methods for the extraction of up to five-million tonnes of thermal coal a year.

Included in the project are coal handling and storage facilities, a rail spur and load infrastructure, an underground drift entry and ventilation shafts, gas and water management facilities, as well as maintenance facilities and administration buildings.

Surface infrastructure will be located at Buttonderry and Tooheys road(S)?. Run-of-mine (RoM) coal will undergo minimal processing on site. RoM coal will not be washed; it will only be sized and screened. A small amount of waste rock may be produced during processing, which will be trucked off-site to an emplacement facility. No fine coal tailings will be produced.

Potential Job Creation
The project is expected to support more than 1 000 direct and indirect jobs during construction, 300 direct jobs in the mining operation for 28 years, and another 500 indirect jobs in retail, building, transport and other sectors.

Capital Expenditure
$805-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
The Wallarah 2 has been awarded a mining lease.

The New South Wales Minerals Council has welcomed the granting of the mining lease for Wallarah 2, which is 82.2%-owned and -managed by coal miner Kores Australia.

According to the New South Wales Minerals Council, the project will be a boost to the central coast region. Over the life of the project, Wallarah 2 is forecast to drive over $600-million in economic turnover into the regional economy, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties and taxes to the state government to help fund hospitals, roads and schools.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Wallarah 2 has been one of the most scrutinised mining projects in the state’s history, subjected to repeated assessment over what Galilee has said is a “ridiculous 16-year period”.

Contact Details for Project Information
WACJV, Peter Smith, email psmith@wallarah.com.au, Kenny Barry, email kbarry@wallarah.com.au or tel +61 4 352 7500.