{"id":303988,"date":"2021-08-12T18:18:14","date_gmt":"2021-08-12T08:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=303988"},"modified":"2021-08-12T18:18:14","modified_gmt":"2021-08-12T08:18:14","slug":"next-step-in-coal-mine-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2021\/08\/12\/next-step-in-coal-mine-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Next Step In Coal Mine Project"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In 2019, South Burnett Regional Council agreed to close a 3.3km section of Ridge Road between Meandu Mine and Yarraman Forestry so the mine can expand<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

August 12, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

The long-planned extension of the Meandu coal mine has been referred to a Federal Government department for determination as the next stage in the approval process.<\/p>\n

The “King 2 East” surface rights area extension would increase the size of the mine by 7 per cent, within the boundaries of the current mining lease.<\/p>\n

Stanwell has proposed extending an existing pit into a hoop pine forest to the north-east.<\/p>\n

In 2019,\u00a0South Burnett Regional Council agreed to permanently close a 3.3km section of Ridge Road to allow the expansion to take place.<\/p>\n

If the project passes all its preliminary approvals, mining in the the new area would start in 2024.<\/p>\n

“King 2 East” was recently referred to the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment for determination on whether it was considered a controlled action under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC).<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Stanwell spokesperson said that if the project was considered a controlled action, approval from the Commonwealth department would be required.<\/p>\n

If it was not a controlled action, then the Commonwealth approval process was complete.<\/p>\n

As part of the EPBC process, Stanwell\u2019s application was published on the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment website earlier this month to enable the community to review the application.<\/p>\n

“Stanwell is working with its neighbours and local community to ensure any concerns or questions about the project are addressed in the planning and approvals process,” the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

The project triggers several primary approvals which have to be ticked off before construction could start:<\/strong><\/p>\n