Newy 87.8 FM – Hunter Valley Operations has told the NSW Independent Planning Commission that a short-term approval for its open cut mines between Singleton and Muswellbrook would be "economically equivalent to a rejection", insisting on approval to mine to 2045.
In a 1 September letter signed by Approvals Manager Jason Martin, HVO also argued the Future Jobs and Investment Bill should carry little weight, saying "there is no certainty that the bill will ever be passed by Parliament". The bill has passed the Legislative Assembly but remains in the Legislative Council awaiting a second reading.
The letter responded to a 27 August request from the Commission's Planning Director, Stephen Barry, asking what minimum additional period of operations would enable an orderly transition for workforce, suppliers and community, and what transition measures could not be completed within, for example, five years.
HVO said workforce and community closure obligations could be completed within the final three to five years before closure, and noted it had already reduced the mining period sought from 2050 to 2045.
The applications from HV Operations Pty Ltd cover extraction of approximately 430 million tonnes of ROM coal, with HVO North running to the end of 2045 and HVO South to the end of 2042. HVO cited more than $2.1 billion in capital investment required for HVO North and more than $800 million for HVO South.
Public submissions on the additional material close at 11:59pm on 9 September 2026.
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