WAMBO homestead will be upgraded before any decision is made on its future.
Back in September Peabody Resources announced plans it wanted to have the homestead removed from the State Heritage Register because of its state of disrepair.
The homestead is also sterilising some 300 million tones of coal but the retention of the homestead was part of the mine’s 2004 conditions of consent.
NSW Department of Planning announced the decision yesterday.
The decision comes as a direct result of a complaint by a resident that the coal company had failed to comply with conditions of consent in regards to the homestead.
The complaint was among the first received by the newly appointed coal mining compliance officers.
Richard Pearson, the Department of Planning’s Deputy Director-General for Development Assessment, Richard Pearson, said an inspection was carried out on the homestead and outbuildings on December 2 by the Singleton compliance team and an officer from the Department’s Heritage Branch.
“The purpose of the inspection was to check the condition of the homestead, assess past maintenance and determine future maintenance required.
Some key maintenance tasks and activities were identified at the inspection and Wambo Coal representatives offered to voluntarily complete a range of works. The works are expected to commence in January 2011 and be completed by June 2011.
Some of the works require approval from the Heritage Council of New South Wales.
The Department will be monitoring the works and if necessary, use its enforcement powers,to ensure the works are completed within the time frames and to the standards agreed at the inspection.
A separate application by Wambo Coal to remove the homestead from the State Heritage Register is currently being assessed by the Heritage Council of New South Wales.
Mr Pearson said that application does not alter the obligation on Wambo Coal to conduct the above maintenance works as required by the existing development consent.
In response local resident Carol Russell said while she was unsure what the outcome would mean for the future of Wambo Homestead, the decision had highlighted the role of conditions of consent.
“I hope the Heritage council in consideration of the application for delisting take into serious consideration the determination by NSW Planning that the mine had failed in its obligations to the homestead.
“I hope it is not considered for delisting based on that argument.
“The whole point of conditions of consent is highlighted by this, it is good to see the compliance officers having such a positive outcome for conditions of consent and I hope that conditions are continued to be looked at with the same scrutiny,” Mrs Russell said.
qMeanwhile Ashton Coal has been fined $3000 for breaching the approved start time for its open cut mining operation.
This is the first fine handed out by the Department based on the work of the new three member compliance team since it began operation in October.
The officers received a complaint that a dozer had begun operation at the Ashton coal site at 7.45am on Sunday, November 14, before the approved start time of 8am.
The officers’ investigation confirmed the breach.
“Our compliance officers determined the breach was significant due to the proximity of the mine to residential neighbours at Camberwell,” Mr Pearson said.
Another mine received an unannounced visit following dust complaints. The mine undertook to improve its procedures for operating a dragline and a follow-up inspection confirmed better operational practices.
Compliance officers have inspected 20 mines during November.
The three officers have also begun auditing mine websites to ensure they are user friendly and contain the information required within their consents.
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