<p>The New South Wales Government has given its long-awaited approval for Centennial Coal to develop its $240m Anvil Hill open-cut mine in the Hunter Valley.</p> <p>NSW planning minister Frank Sartor said yesterday (Thursday, June 7) that the decision, which had been influenced by more than 2,000 written submissions, was “not taken lightly”.</p> <p>The mine will produce 10.5m tonnes of coal each year, some of it used for domestic power generation and the rest exported through the port of Newcastle.</p> <p>Anvil Hill formed part of the basis for a consortium, including Centennial, to build a third coal terminal at the port, approved in April.</p> <p>Several groups, including Greens, Hunter Valley wineries and horsebreeders, had protested against the mine on the basis that it would be a significant contributor to climate change and disrupt the existing lucrative businesses such as horsebreeding and the Hunter’s wine trade.</p> <p>But Mr Sartor said 84 strict conditions would be imposed on Centennial to ensure it met noise, air and emission restrictions.</p> <p>"The fight must go on at a national and international level to drive real, long-term global change," Mr Sartor said.</p> <p>"Unilateral action on climate change in the form of a black-ban on new coalmine applications in NSW alone would devastate the economy but, worse still, would achieve zero net benefit to climate change because our coal would be substituted with coal from elsewhere."</p> <p>Anvil Hill is expected to sell about $9bn of coal over its 21-year life, giving the State Government about $380m in royalties.</p> <p>Federal Court action brought by residents living near the mine – west of Muswellbrook – is due to be heard on July 3.</p> <br />
