The Independent Planning Commission (IPC) has ruled on the future of Hunter Valley Operations (HVO), approving plans that will let the mine continue extracting coal until 2045. The site, which includes North and South pits, is expected to produce an estimated 429 million tonnes of coal over that period.
The decision follows a last-minute extension granted in April 2025 that kept the mine operating until December this year. During IPC hearings in July, HVO said it employed more than 1,500 people, engaged more than 800 suppliers and injected more than $1 billion a year into the economy.
The proposal had backing from Premier Chris Minns, Natural Resources Minister Courtney Houssos and the NSW Coalition. Ms Houssos told ABC Upper Hunter ahead of the decision: "Those 1,500 jobs are such a key part of the state's economy, but particularly here in the Hunter Valley." She added that the state has legislated net-zero emissions targets and will adhere to them, while also recognising the important role coal mining plays for the Hunter and the wider economy.
The IPC received more than 10,000 public submissions, with about 60 per cent supporting the project. In its statement, the commission acknowledged the mine would emit 809 megatonnes of greenhouse gases from operations and overseas coal combustion, contributing to climate change impacts across the Hunter, NSW and globally. However, it said those impacts were balanced against the "significant employment, business, social and economic benefits" of the extension.
The approval carries conditions, including limiting coal exports to jurisdictions with greenhouse gas reduction policies consistent with the Paris Agreement, maximising renewable energy use at the mine, and purchasing additional carbon offsets.
Lock The Gate Alliance national coordinator Georgina Woods described the decision as a "crossroads moment for the Hunter and NSW", saying: "We are right on this knife edge of dangerous levels of global warming, but obviously also too little has been done to prepare the Hunter region for the closure of mines." Environmentalists had argued the extension would jeopardise the NSW government's ability to reach net-zero targets.