The proposed expansion of a coal mine in the New South Wales Central West would displace and reduce the size of a "critical" koala population, according to the managers of the project. Yancoal, the owner of the Moolarben Coal Mine near Mudgee, is seeking to expand the site by 675 hectares. The mine extracts 22 million tonnes of coal per year and has a life span until 2038. If approved, 30 million tonnes of coal could be extracted at the site per year, which would make it one of the largest coal mines in the country.
After the NSW Department of Planning received 90 submissions in relation to the project, 73 of which opposed the expansion, Yancoal reduced the proposed size of the site by 150 hectares to 675 hectares.