1.2.2 Current activity and tenements

Summary

There are currently eight commercially producing coal mines in the Sydney Basin bioregion including the Appin–West Cliff Mining Complex which consists of two individual mines, Appin Mine and West Cliff Colliery. Most coal mines in the Sydney Basin bioregion are underground operations producing both thermal and coking coal for domestic and export markets. These mining operations occur within two distinct parts of the bioregion, commonly known as the Western Coalfield and the Southern Coalfield. The Western Coalfield occurs in the Blue Mountains region near Lithgow, whereas the Southern Coalfield is in the Illawarra region near Wollongong.

In addition to the producing mines there are nine mines that are currently under care and maintenance. These mines have mainly been put into care and maintenance due to reserve depletion or prevailing economic conditions.

There is one producing coal seam gas (CSG) operation in the Sydney Basin bioregion, AGL Energy’s Camden Gas Project.