NSW community's opinion sought on coal mine regulation
Community members across NSW are being asked to give their feedback on the regulation of coal mines, with the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) conducting a statewide consultation.
EPA CEO, Tony Chappel, said it’s an important opportunity to ensure licences are operating as intended, to protect the health of the community and environment.
“We’re committed to ensuring all mines in NSW are operating environmentally responsibly, and to get a gauge on this it’s key we hear directly from those living in proximity to these sites.
“Our team is continually working closely with licensees to ensure they are complying with their strict licence requirements, including limits on noise, dust and water quality.
“This is an opportunity for us to take a look at the sector as a whole and see if we can increase consistency in regulation or community transparency through more reporting or monitoring.
“All feedback will be carefully considered, and we won’t hesitate to make necessary changes to strengthen operating requirements,” Mr Chappel said.
This feedback will complement the statutory five yearly reviews of coal mine licences with many licences due for review this year.
Climate change is an important consideration for the EPA. Environment protection licences across NSW will be proactively updated to align with the EPA’s Climate Change Policy and Action Plan 2023-26 to progressively minimise emissions and exposure to climate risks.
Public consultation will open on 21 August 2024 and continue until 2 October 2024. To learn more, you can access the public consultation and Have Your Say at https://yoursay.epa.nsw.gov.au/state-wide-coal-mine-consultation.
Coal mine licences and pollution monitoring results provided by licensed industry operators are available on the EPA’s Public Register.