But the residents who were invited to a recent meeting in Corrimal were shocked that a coal washery and processing plant would now be part of the proposal. 

Consultant firm Umwelt has been engaged to speak to residents about the new proposal, which seeks a mine life of five years to extract about 3.7 million tonnes of coal in order to finance the company’s attempt to expand further inland.

The miner appears to be conceding its plans for longwall mining under the drinking water catchment are unlikely to be approved by planning authorities. Instead, Wollongong Coal will seek to use the less damaging bord and pillar mining method, which produces less subsidence from land above.

But some parts of the proposed workings extend all the way to beneath the edge of the Cataract Reservoir.

Illawarra Residents for Responsible Mining representatives attended the meeting, along with community member Ann Brown who said she was surprised by the plan.

“I had already had two long phone interviews with them  but had not been told that a coal washery is proposed,” she said.

“We also were told that the company intention was still to extend mining to the Wonga West area, and the profits from the proposed bord and pillar mining would allow time to explore and investigate the western area of the lease”.

Wollongong Coal did not respond to questions about the consultation.

IRRM labelled it “scandalous” that Wollongong Coal had again notified the mine plan to the Department of Planning and Environment.

“This is a very controversial mine and has been plagued with past and present non-compliances, poor management decisions, lack of finances and approval processes that are not only opaque, but also of questionable legality,” IRRM said in a letter to the Department.