Maules creek

The Maules Creek coal mining project located in the Gunnedah Basin of New South Wales received full approval to go ahead in July 2013. Approvals had earlier been granted by the Federal Government but the decision had been opposed by opponents to the development proceeding, who took the matter to the Federal Court challenging the validity of the approval process.

Maules Creek Coal Mine will Have a Life of 30 Years

The Maules Creek Project will develop an open cut mining operation on one of the last significant and undeveloped multi-seam coal deposits in New South Wales. With 362 million tonnes of recoverable reserves it is considered to be one of the largest coal deposits in Australia. The new mine is expected to have a life of mine of more than 30 years, mining around 13 million tonnes of coal annually. The project is considered to be one of the few tier 1 undeveloped coal assets remaining to be exploited in Australia.

The Maules Creek Project is a Joint Venture Arrangement.

The Maules Creek Project is a joint venture known as the Maules Creek Coal Joint Venture, it comprises Whitehaven Coal that holds 75 percent and Japanese companies, J-power (Electric Power Development Company)10 percent and Itochu 15 percent, holding the balance. The mining project has important infrastructure close by as it is situated 16 kilometres from the main railway that will take the coal to the coal terminals at the Newcastle port located 360 kilometres to its south east. The town of Boggabri is 18 kilometres to its north east.

Maules Creek - A Most Significant Investments in Regional NSW

The Maules Creek Project is one of the most significant mining investments that are currently being developed in regional New South Wales. As the construction gets underway it will create employment for 340 full time workers, including contractors and up to 470 permanent personnel when the mining operation gets underway. Coal production at Maules Creek has been capped at 13 million tonnes a year and the first coal production from the mine is expected to take place in the second half of 2014. Coal mined at the Maules Creek Mine is a low phosphorus, low sulphur, low ash, high quality semi soft coking coal as well as a high energy, low sulphur, low ash thermal coal.

1,500 Workers in the Gunnedah Basin Within Five Years

Whitehaven Coal is the leading coal miner in the Gunnedah Basin of New South Wales where it will be employing a workforce of over 1,500 personnel within the next five years. It is currently in the process of developing three of Australia's major up and coming coal mines that includes the Narrabri North underground mine as well as the world class Maules Creek Joint Venture Project.

Union Wants Local Workers to get Priority

The Maules Creek Coal Joint Venture management has also been asked by the CFMEU to give local workers priority over the employment of a fly-in- fly-out work force because of the number of mine workers recently made redundant from other mines, who are still living in the area. The company recently announced it would be flying workers in and out during the construction phase. The CFMEU claim an existing accommodation camp near Boggabri has presented the company with an easy fly-in-fly-out option.