SYDNEY, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The state government of Australia's New South Wales (NSW) has granted a six-year extension to the operating life of a coal mine north of Sydney.
The NSW Planning Department on Friday granted MACH Energy's application to extend the life of the Mount Pleasant coal mine, located 180 km north of Sydney, to the end of 2032 and to increase its annual extraction rate from 10.5 million tonnes to 12.5 million tonnes.
The decision was made four months before the mine was set to close at the expiry of existing mining approvals in December amid an ongoing court battle over a 22-year extension.
The owner of the mine, MACH Energy, was granted a 22-year extension through to 2048 in 2022, but it was subsequently blocked by the NSW Court of Appeal in 2025 after a local environmental group challenged it.
MACH Energy subsequently challenged the ruling in the High Court of Australia and applied for the shorter six-year extension while awaiting a decision.
The NSW Court of Appeal found that when it blocked the extension, the Independent Planning Commission failed to take into account the mine's impact on the environment and climate.
The High Court heard the appeal in May and is currently deliberating. ■