The mining company which operates Tarrawonga Coal Mine (TCM) near Gunnedah has proposed to extend road haulage hours to alleviate driver availability issues.
In a letter to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, Whitehaven Coal says the haulage contractor has faced rostering challenges due to the current road haulage hours.
“Consultation with the haulage contractor indicates that an increase in the road haulage hours would result in an increase in driver availability. The proposed increase in the TCM road haulage hours would allow for the full utilisation of the currently permitted 3.5 million tonnes per annum road haulage limit,” the letter said.
The proposal includes increasing the road haulage hours from the mine to the Gunnedah Coal Handling and Preparation Plant by four hours each weekday. Currently the approved haulage hours are between 6am and 9:15pm from Monday to Friday, but if the changes are approved the hours would increase to between 4am and 11:15pm.
A noise assessment completed for the proposal, states there will no adverse noise impacts from the extended hours.
The coal mine has been in operation since 2006 and is estimated to have coal reserves to support 20 years of mining.
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