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NSW planning commission approves biggest coal mine project in its history

NSW planning commission approves biggest coal mine project in its history

Built World

Hunter Valley Operations can run to 2045; federal environmental approval still pending

October 16th, 2026: Future Jobs and Investment Bill passes NSW upper house

Overview

Updated Oct 18

The Independent Planning Commission approved the biggest coal mine project in its history on September 30, letting Hunter Valley Operations near Singleton keep mining until 2045. The extension saves 1,500 jobs but adds an estimated 809 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, 98% from coal burned overseas. Federal approval is still pending, with a decision expected before year's end.

Climate groups called the decision a betrayal. The NSW upper house passed the Future Jobs and Investment Bill on October 16, a step toward supporting coal communities, but the mine approval stands. The state's Net Zero Commission had warned the extension conflicts with NSW climate targets.

Why it matters

If federal approval follows, NSW keeps exporting coal past its own climate targets, testing whether emissions law and coal expansion can coexist.

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Key Indicators

809M t
Projected greenhouse gas emissions
Total emissions from mining and overseas coal combustion over the project's life: 15.1 Mt on-site, 793.8 Mt from burning coal overseas.

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People Involved

GW
Georgina Woods
NSW co-ordinator, Lock the Gate Alliance
Campaigning against the approval
 Chris Minns
Chris Minns
Premier of New South Wales
Welcomed the IPC decision

Organizations Involved

Independent Planning Commission (IPC)
Independent Planning Commission (IPC)
NSW statutory authority
Approved the HVO extension

Independent body that decides the largest and most complex development applications in New South Wales.
Hunter Valley Operations (HVO)
Hunter Valley Operations (HVO)
Coal mining joint venture
Expansion approved; federal review pending

Open-cut coal mine complex near Singleton, NSW, owned jointly by Yancoal and Glencore.
Lock the Gate Alliance
Lock the Gate Alliance
Environmental advocacy group
Opposed the extension

National alliance opposing coal and gas projects across Australia.
NSW Net Zero Commission
NSW Net Zero Commission
Independent advisory body
Advised against the extension

Independent body advising NSW on meeting its legislated emission reduction targets.
Climate Council
Climate Council
Environmental advocacy group
Opposed the extension

Independent, community-funded climate advocacy organisation in Australia.

Timeline

2022 October 2026

7 events Latest: October 16th, 2026 · 4 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Future Jobs and Investment Bill passes NSW upper house

    Latest Legislative

    The bill, which aims to support coal communities, passed the upper house. Nature Conservation Council called it a step toward securing a viable future for coal workers, but does not alter the HVO approval.

  2. IPC approves HVO continuation to 2045

    Decision

    Commission approves extension, citing economic benefits over emissions impacts. Climate groups call it a betrayal. Federal EPBC Act approval still required.

  3. IPC holds three-day public hearing

    Hearing

    Commission receives 10,576 written submissions and 129 verbal submissions on the HVO proposal.

  4. NSW publishes Coal Industry 2026-50 plan

    Policy

    Coal plan allows extending existing mines but ends applications for new greenfield coal projects.

  5. Last-minute extension keeps mine open to December

    Regulatory

    NSW grants temporary extension allowing HVO to keep operating through 2026 while assessment continues.

  6. Court of Appeal requires overseas emissions to be weighed

    Legal

    NSW Court of Appeal rules planning decisions must consider scope-3 emissions from burning coal overseas. Decision under appeal in High Court.

  7. HVO lodges continuation application

    Application

    Hunter Valley Operations submits proposal to extend mining at its North and South sites beyond 2026.

Scenarios

1

Federal government approves Hunter Valley extension under EPBC Act

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: NSW government; mining industry analysts

The federal environment minister must approve the project under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Protection Conservation Act. Given the state-level approval, the project's economic weight, and the fact that the federal Safeguard Mechanism covers less than 2 percent of total emissions, approval with conditions matching the state's is the most likely path. Such approval would clear the final regulatory hurdle.

2

Federal minister rejects Hunter Valley extension

Unlikely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Climate groups; NSW Net Zero Commission

The minister could refuse approval on climate grounds, or impose conditions that make the project uneconomic. The Net Zero Commission's advice that such extensions breach Australia's Paris commitments gives legal and political cover for rejection. But the political cost of killing 1,500 jobs in a coal region makes rejection a long shot.

3

High Court overturns scope-3 emissions ruling

Deadline passed (Oct 31, 2026)

Discussed by: Legal commentators

The NSW Court of Appeal ruled in 2025 that the IPC must weigh emissions from burning coal overseas when assessing projects. The High Court is considering an appeal, with a decision expected in early October 2026. Overturning that ruling would remove the main legal basis for considering overseas emissions in future NSW mining approvals, making extensions easier to approve.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2010-2022

Adani Carmichael coal mine (2010s)

The Adani Group's proposed coal mine in Queensland's Galilee Basin won state and federal approval in the mid-2010s after years of court challenges over groundwater and climate impacts. First coal was shipped in late 2021, at a fraction of the project's originally planned size.

Then

The mine began limited production, but years of legal resistance forced Adani to sharply scale back its ambitions.

Now

Showed that major Australian coal projects can survive legal and political opposition, but that opposition can reshape their scale.

Why this matters now

Like HVO, a giant Australian coal project approved despite climate objections. Unlike HVO, Carmichael was a new mine; HVO extends an existing operation in a region already dependent on coal jobs.

March 2017

Hazelwood power station closure (2017)

Victoria's Hazelwood coal-fired power station, among Australia's most polluting, closed in March 2017, eliminating about 750 jobs in the Latrobe Valley town of Morwell.

Then

Job losses and a regional economic downturn followed, prompting state and federal transition packages.

Now

Became a national reference point for the social and political cost of closing coal facilities in regional Australia.

Why this matters now

HVO's approval is partly a response to the same fear: closing coal operations in regional towns carries heavy economic and political costs that governments are reluctant to bear.

Sources

(8)
+2
The Guardian ABC News Sydney Morning Herald NSW Government The Conversation Newcastle Herald Nine News Climate Council