Arabic version: توسعة منجم بيبودي تثير جدلاً حول الوظائف ومنطقة تجميع المياه

According to ABC News, Peabody has begun the State Significant Development process for a plan to extend its Metropolitan Mine at Helensburgh, south of Sydney, until 2044. The US-based company has submitted a scoping report to the NSW government for 22 additional underground longwalls west of existing operations.

The proposal would extract about 31 million tonnes of run-of-mine coal over 12 years, at up to 2.7 million tonnes annually. Peabody said the plan would preserve about 400 existing jobs, support 450 suppliers and continue coal supplies to BlueScope’s Port Kembla steelworks and overseas customers. The proposed continuation area would add about 1,300 hectares, while the mine’s existing leases cover 6,200 hectares.

Mining and Energy Union district secretary Andy Davey said the union supported the extension “100 per cent”, describing it as important for workers and the community. He said it would offer employment certainty for Metropolitan’s approximately 400 workers and disputed claims that the expansion would drain water into the mine.

The project would remain within the Woronora Special Area, part of Sydney’s drinking water catchment, although Peabody said it would be west of existing operations and away from Woronora Reservoir. The company proposes 163-metre-wide extraction panels separated by 55-metre pillars to reduce subsidence effects. It said Metropolitan had complied with conditions requiring “negligible impacts” to upland swamps and water quality and quantity since its 2009 approval.

NSW Greens environment spokesperson Sue Higginson said mining had already damaged parts of the Woronora catchment and called for the mine to close rather than expand. The separate 22-longwall proposal has no full development application lodged. Peabody said an application is expected between 2027 and 2029; if lodged, it would face environmental assessment and public exhibition.