PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The New South Wales Independent Planning Commission (IPC) has refused development approval for the proposed 6.5-million-tonne-a-year Bylong coal project.
The project was proposed by South Korean firm Kepco, and would consist of both an opencut and underground operation with a mine life of more than 25 years, extracting around 120-million tonnes of coal.
The project was expected to create 650 jobs during construction and a further 450 during operations.
The mine proposal was referred to the IPC in October last year, as more than 336 objections were raised to the project development during the public consultation process.
In its determination, the IPC found that the development of the Bylong project was not in the best interest of the public, despite its possible economic and social benefits.
The IPC found that Kepco had not sufficiently minimized the expected greenhouse gas emissions associated with the project, and that the Bylong operation would have negative long-term environmental effects on groundwater, agriculture and heritage sites.
“While the commission found the mine's predicted air quality, biodiversity, noise, subsidence and visual impacts are acceptable and/or can be effectively managed or mitigated, it raised significant concern about other longer-lasting environmental impacts.
“The predicted economic benefits would accrue to the present generation but the long-term environmental, heritage and agricultural costs will be borne by the future generations,” the IPC said.