This week the Upper Hunter's mining industry has received two interesting pieces of news one involving the discovery of a legless lizard on a mine site and the other is the return of Nathan Tinkler who has made a bid to purchase an underground mine.
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First to the lizard where ecological surveys found the Hunter Valley Delma (Delma vescolineata) in the Mount Pleasant coal mine expansion area near Muswellbrook.
The lizard was only officially listed as a new species last month.
The delma is so new to science that it has not yet been listed under the EPBC Act or the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act. It was determined to be a new species shortly after the release of the latest Federal State of the Environment report
Given this find the Independent Planning Commission has been granted a deadline extension until September 8, 2022 for the determination of the Mount Pleasant Optimisation Project.
The IPC sought the extension to allow the Panel additional time to seek public submissions on new material provided by the Department of Planning and Environment.
In a letter dated 12 August 2022, the Department wrote to the IPC, advising that: 'MACH Energy Australia Pty Ltd (MACH) [the applicant for the Project] has provided the Department with a research paper ... confirming that the Legless Lizard recorded at Mount Pleasant is not the Striped Legless Lizard (Delma impar) as previously thought, but is in fact a new species not previously identified. Importantly, this species is not yet listed as threatened under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (BC Act).'
The Panel considers that it would be assisted by public submissions on the DPE letter and its attachments regarding the identification of the Legless Lizard. Public submissions may be made only on this new material and must be received via email (ipcn@ipcn.nsw.gov.au) by 5pm Tuesday, August 30, 2022.
Next the return of former mining billionaire Nathan Tinkler who this week made a non binding bid for Dartbrook underground mine near Aberdeen.
Owners of the Dartbrook mine Australian Pacific Coal Limited announced earlier this week to the Australian Stock Exchange they had received a bid from Nakevo Pty Ltd.
In the statement it says AQC has been advised by Nakevo, that the shareholders of Nakevo are: Oceltip Coal 2 Pty Ltd (an entity controlled by Nathan Tinkler), Evolution Capital Pty Ltd, a credible fund manager with in excess of $4bn in capital under management and a number of other financial investors.
Dartbrook mine was formerly operated by Anglo American but it has been in care and maintenance since 2006.
AQC bought the mine from Anglo American in 2019 and have spent a number of years including legal battles obtaining mining approval which was finally granted in March this year.
At that time they were given a five year extension for mining operations until December 2027.
Louise Nichols
From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM.
From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM.
