Peabody Energy applied to NSW Resources on 18 December 2025 for the release of a new area of land (412 ha) for coal expansion, adjacent to the existing large exploration area EL9399 that has not yet received any approval for development. The Peabody Wilpinjong Mine is an export thermal coal mine with current approval to mine 16 million tonnes per annum until 2033, despite the NSW Government's commitment under the Climate Change (Net Zero Future) Act 2023 to significantly reduce carbon emissions by 70% by 2035.
NSW Resources ran a market interest test to find out if any other coal company has an interest in developing this area. The community response was unambiguous: ELA7005 received 379 submissions against. Decision-making on exploration licence applications is non-transparent and internal to Resources NSW, so we are in contact with ministers to ensure your submissions are taken into consideration.
The Net Zero Commission Coal Mining Emissions Spotlight Report (December 2025): Finding 4
"Continued extensions or expansions to coal mining in NSW are not consistent with emissions reduction targets
in the Climate Change Act or the Paris Agreements temperature goals it gives effect to..."
Remnant woodland under threat
This area of native vegetation should not be subject to the clearing impacts needed to conduct exploration drilling.
Remnant vegetation in the Wollar district has high conservation value providing habitat for a range of threatened species, including those listed for protection under Federal environmental law. The bushland in the 412 hectare application area for ELA 7005 is extensive and forms a valley floor connection to adjacent ridges that span across the landscape to nearby Goulburn River National Park.
Conservation values include key breeding and foraging habitat for the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater. The critically endangered ecological community known as Box Gum Woodland is also recorded in the area. Other threatened species known to use remnant bushland in the Wollar district include Koala and Large-eared Pied Bat as well as a range of other woodland birds and mammals threatened with extinction.
These species and ecological communities are consistently reported in environmental assessments for the three coal mines in the area: Glencore Ulan Coal Mine, Yancoal Moolarben Coal Mine and the associated Peabody Wilpinjong Coal Mine. They are highly likely to use habitat in the ELA 7005 area. Some of these species are listed as likely to have Significant and Irreversible Impacts from habitat disturbance and have suffered a cumulative loss of habitat in the region from mine disturbance.
The area of land identified for new coal exploration activities is not suitable for the level of disturbance caused by drilling activities, including making of access tracks, clearing drill pads and intercepting groundwater sources.
The impact of clearing for exploration drilling purposes in this important area of woodland conservation values will break up the intact nature of the vegetation and connectivity to surrounding landscape causing further cumulative loss.
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