Deputy Premier unveils Strategic Statement on Coal Exploration and Mining in NSW
The NSW Government has announced a plan it calls "a responsible, balanced approach to the effects of the global transition to a low carbon future on the coal mining sector."
The government has set a clear and consistent policy framework for coal exploration and mining in NSW that supports investment certainty as the coal mining sector responds to global demand, while helping regional communities to manage the effects of an expected decline in thermal coal mining in the state over the longer term.
The Strategic Statement on Coal Exploration and Mining in NSW sets out the NSW’s Government’s approach and a four-point action plan built around:
- Improving certainty about where coal mining should not occur
- Supporting responsible coal production
- Reducing the impact of coal mining
- Supporting diversification of coal-reliant regional economies to assist with the phase-out of thermal coal mining.
To support these actions, the government has ruled out considering a significant proportion of the state’s coal regions for proactive release under the Strategic Release Framework for Coal and Petroleum Exploration. This is shown on the map below. This map also identifies a limited number of areas the government may consider for potential release for coal exploration under the Framework in the future, as well as certain areas where coal mining will be prohibited.
- Strategic Statement on Coal Exploration and Mining in NSW
- Map of areas in NSW coal regions available and excluded from future coal exploration and mining
View detailed maps of the potential coal release areas and exclusion areas in MinView on the Geoscience NSW website here.
