THE NSW Department of Planning is awaiting a response from Yancoal to submissions lodged on future plans for the Stratford Coal Mine, five months after requesting it.
As reported by NOTA in October 2024, the mine has come to the end of its useful life and owners Yancoal have lodged an application with the Department to convert the area into a renewable energy hub.
If approved, the hub would require the construction of 660,000 solar panels and a new dam in the adjacent hills.
The concept is that water would be pumped from existing voids to the upper dam using solar-generated electricity.
When electricity is needed for the grid, water would be released from the top dam to flow down the tunnel to the lower dam past an electricity generating turbine.
The Department invited submissions on the project until 29 October 2024.
A total of 96 submissions were received, 17 supporting the project and 76 opposing it.
Three submissions, including one from MidCoast Council, were comments.
On 30 October the Department wrote to the proponent asking that Yancoal provide a response to the issues raised in the submissions by 31 January 2025.
Three months after the January date, no response has been received by the Department from Yancoal.
NOTA sought comment about the delay from both Yancoal and the Department.
No response was received from Yancoal.
A spokesperson from the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure told NOTA, “The proponent of the Stratford Pumped Hydro and Solar project is expected to submit its Submissions Report in the next few weeks.
“The lodging of the Submissions Report was delayed as the proponent needed further time to address comments from NSW Government agencies.”
By John WATTS
