Aerial view of heavy machinery in an open-pit mine.(File image: Johannes Plenio / Pexels)
Newy 87.8 FM – The NSW Government has finalised post-mining land use rezonings for the Mt Arthur Coal Mine precinct at Muswellbrook and the Macquarie Coal Complex precinct at Teralba and West Wallsend, unlocking land capacity for more than 7,000 jobs.
The NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has finalised the master plans and rezoning proposals for both precincts, amending the Muswellbrook Local Environmental Plan 2009 and the Lake Macquarie Local Environmental Plan 2014.
At Mt Arthur, the rezoning provides about 800 hectares of developable land across two priority areas, with capacity for up to 5,900 new jobs and about 4,600 hectares of rehabilitated land for agriculture and environmental use. BHP has made a commercial decision to cease mining at Mt Arthur in 2030.
The Macquarie Coal Complex precinct includes about 500 hectares of developable land with capacity for about 1,130 new jobs, 36 hectares of new open space and 22 hectares of residential land, including at Barnsley West and Teralba Southgate.
Both proposals were exhibited from 14 July to 11 August 2026, attracting 177 submissions in total. The rezonings do not switch off rehabilitation obligations, with land released only once it is confirmed safe, stable and non-polluting, and future projects will still face their own development assessment.
The Teralba site was also named on 20 October as the preferred location for the state-owned train-building facility under the $12 billion Future Fleet Program.
Join the discussion on Facebook.
