The underground mining component within Stage 2 of the Austar Mining Complex is currently being undertaken within Consolidated Mining Lease 2 (CML2) under development consent DA 29/95. DA 29/95 was granted by the Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning in 1996, enabling coal extraction from the Greta Seam using a conventional retreat longwall extraction method to a height of up to 4.5 metres. DA 29/95 has been modified on two occasions to enable extraction of up to 6.5 metres of coal from the Stage 1 and Stage 2 areas respectively using an enhanced form of conventional retreat longwall extraction known as Longwall Top Coal Caving (LTCC). A third modification to DA 29/95 was made in 2009 to alter the widths of longwalls and chain pillars in the Stage 2 area. A separate project approval has been granted enabling longwall mining using LTCC technology in the Stage 3 area and construction and operation of a new Surface Infrastructure Site and access road south-west of Kitchener.
The 'Stage 2 Extension Project' involves extraction one additional longwall adjacent to the Stage 2 area. Approval for the Stage 2 Extension Project was granted by the Department of Planning in December 2010, by modification to the DA29/95 development consent. The additional longwall is known as Longwall A5a (LW A5a) and is located within the DA 29/95 approval area. In order to maximise coal resource recovery in LW A5a the modification allows:
- an increase the maximum allowable extraction height of coal within the area to be mined by LW A5a from 4.5 metres to 6.5 metres; and
- undertaking coal extraction in LW A5a using LTCC technology.
The Stage 2 Extension Project is a logical extension of the approved LTCC extraction of the Stage 2 area. The
Environmental Assessment (EA) prepared in support of the modification application can be downloaded here, however, please note that some of the files are very large and may take some time.
Should you have any comments on the Stage 2 Extension Project or any part of the Austar Coal Mine operation, we encourage you to call us on 4993 7200 or email info@austarcoalmine.com.au.