Why mining firms are using planning ‘modifications’ to expand coal mines in NSW

The New South Wales government has signed off on a planning modification that lets the Boggabri coal mine expand and continue operating until 2040.

The change means Idemitsu can extract up to 30 million tonnes of extra coal, which is expected to produce about 68 million tonnes of greenhouse‑gas emissions.

A planning modification is a shortcut in the state’s planning system; it allows certain changes to “slip under that trigger point” and avoid the more rigorous full development assessment, according to People for the Plains secretary Sally Hunter.

The Greens and other environmental groups say the state is using this shortcut as a loophole, while Planning Minister Paul Scully insists there is “no basis for the assertions” that a loophole exists.

The approved modification will also clear roughly 84 hectares of native vegetation inside the Leard State Forest.

Since the 2023 election, the government has already approved 13 similar extensions that rely on planning modifications.

Community representatives note that the mine provides around 875 local jobs, but critics argue that the environmental cost of the shortcut outweighs the economic benefits.

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