Australia's oldest coalmine plans to expand under Sydney's water catchment

Peabody, a US-based mining company, is proposing to expand its oldest coalmine, Metropolitan Mine at Helensburgh, south of Sydney, under the city's water catchment. The extension would involve 22 additional underground longwall tunnels, which could produce about 31 million tonnes of coal over 12 years. Peabody claims the extension would preserve 400 existing jobs and support 450 suppliers.

The company's union has expressed strong support for the project, stating it would provide significant employment certainty for the approximately 400 workers. Peabody asserts that the proposed expansion would be west of existing operations and away from the Woronora Reservoir, and that it would remain within the Woronora Special Area, which forms part of Sydney's drinking water catchment.

However, environmental groups and some local councillors are strongly opposed to the expansion, citing concerns about its impact on Sydney's water supply. The NSW Greens party has called for the project to be rejected, while the Wollongong Greens councillor has criticized the expansion as massive and without justification. Peabody is awaiting further information from the NSW government about the potential impacts on waterways and nearby swamps before deciding on the proposal.