Federal government commits $10 million to Lake Macquarie Mines Grouting Fund
Павел Хлыстунов / PexelsA heavy drilling machine on an outdoor construction site.(File image: Павел Хлыстунов / Pexels)
Newy 87.8 FM – The federal government has committed $10 million to the Lake Macquarie Mines Grouting Fund, which covers cost overruns for filling historical mine voids beneath development sites in Lake Macquarie.
The fund provides financial assistance to developers when the cost of filling underground voids exceeds a set cap, giving cost certainty for projects built above disused coal workings.
Lake Macquarie City Council established the fund's framework in 2025, and the federal investment now allows it to operate. Belmont, Charlestown, Glendale and Morisset have been identified as high-demand centres affected by the mine voids.
The Australian Government funds the program, which the council says promotes development in Lake Macquarie while mitigating mine subsidence risks.
Stage one of the Lake Macquarie Mines Fund was fully funded by a $2 million federal commitment, announced in May 2024, with stage two funding to be determined based on stage one outcomes.
Economic analysis by Dantia before the 2022 federal election estimated the fund would unlock about 2,500 new jobs and accelerate more than $450 million of investment in eligible development applications.
The fund operates by underwriting developers for the unpredictable cost of filling and remediating historical underground coal mine voids above a capped rate.
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