Photo by: Duane Daws
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The New South Wales government is looking for a buyer for the Cobbora coal mine, in the state’s Central West.
Treasurer Andrew Constance this week announced the expression of interest, saying that all state and federal planning approvals for the project were in place.
“The launch of the transaction process for the Cobbora site is another step in cleaning up the fiscal mess left by Labor and its failed energy reforms. Potential resources at the Cobbora mine development are significant, with reserves of at least 140-million tonnes of thermal coal,” Constance said.
The Cobbora coal project received project approval under state and federal legislation in 2014. The project will provide up to 12-million tonnes of coal a year for domestic and export markets.
The call for expressions of interest for the proposed mine follows the allocation of $20-million for local infrastructure from the Cobbora Transition Fund. This includes $16-million announced by the Member for Dubbo, Troy Grant, and the Member for Barwon, Kevin Humphries, last week, and $4-million allocated to the Wellington, Warrumbungle, Mid-Western and Dubbo councils for building projects
“Mine development and local infrastructure plans are in place to allow development to proceed. In the meantime, the mine site will continue to be improved and actively managed for agricultural use while the transaction process is under way,” Constance said.
The expressions of interest phase for the Cobbora coal mine will be open to prospective bidders until early September 2014.