This vector contains the flight lines from the MinEx Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) Cobar Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) survey. This survey was a collaboration between the Geological Survey of NSW and Geoscience Australia

Identifies Opal Prospecting Blocks in the State of NSW as defined by Part 10, Division 1, Section 224 of the Mining Act 1992 No. 29.

Mineral Resource Areas (MRAs) are areas where NSW local councils has been notified in accordance with Ministerial Direction 1.3 under Section 9.1(2) of the EP&A Act 1979. The direction requires councils to consult with DRNSW if proposed Local Environment Plans (LEPs including planning proposals and re-zonings) are likely to prohibit or restrict development of coal, petroleum, mineral and extractive resources. The direction requires the state government to notify local councils of the locations of current operations and resources of state or regional significance. MRAs should also be used when undertaking the compatibility test required in accordance with Clause 13 of the Mining SEPP. The test must be carried out for any proposed development in the vicinity of existing mines, quarries and petroleum production facilities or resources of state or regional significance.

This map layer shows the locations of in-stream water monitoring stations used by coal mining companies to monitor water quality in the Upper Hunter catchment. This information is provided by the coal companies as part of the Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue in cooperation with NSW Minerals Council and the community. A different coloured symbol is used for each coal company.

Pseudocolour image of isostatic residual gravity with a histogram-equalised colour-stretch. Cooler colours indicate lower gravity values and warmer colours represent higher values. The image has been enhanced with a 3×3 sun filter with the sun illumination set at 45 degrees elevation and 90 degrees azimuth. Bouguer gravity compensates for variations in latitude, 'free-air' elevation and Bouguer correction (assuming a crustal density of 2.67 T/m³). The isostatic correction removes the effect of the thickness of Earth’s crust due to changes in topography. Attention: Please ensure your version of the NSW gravity merges contains the date ‘2024-10-30’ in their filename. An update was made to remedy location errors in the initial release. Apologies for any inconvenience.

The semi-transparent Bouguer gravity image is displayed using cooler colours (blue) to indicate lower gravity values and warmer colours (red) represent higher values. The underlying greyscale tilt-angle filtered total magnetic intensity image has been reduced to the pole (Tilt TMI RTP). The tilt-angle filter of the total magnetic intensity produces a local positive maximum (white) over a magnetic source and is zero near the edge of the source (grey), and is useful for tracing geological structure below variable depths of cover. Both image layers were generated using a histogram-equalised colour-stretch. Attention: Please ensure your version of the NSW gravity merges contains the date ‘2024-10-30’ in their filename. An update was made to remedy location errors in the initial release. Apologies for any inconvenience.

The petrophysics dataset contains petrophysical (rock physical properties) data acquired by the Geological Survey of NSW. It stores measurements of samples and mapping sites collected under the Field Observations database, including from drillholes. It currently covers the following techniques: mass properties, electrical, radiometric, seismic rock physics, magnetic susceptibility and magnetic remanence. It contains raw readings and calculated results, from field and laboratory environments. Vector and tensor magnetic properties (remanence and anisotropic magnetic susceptibility (AMS)) are oriented to in-situ (geographic) and fold-corrected (stratigraphic) co-ordinates where sample and bedding orientation are known.

Depth to the Lithosphere–Asthenosphere Boundary (LAB) modelled by Geognostics with support from government, academia and industry. The LAB surface is the base of the ridgid lithosphere and the top of the ductile asthenosphere. In geothermal terms it marks a thermal and mechanical tranisition in the Earth at a temperature of 1330 °C. This surface is modelled using themal modelling (mantle heat flow, crustal heat production, thermal conductivity, Moho depth and lithospheric structure) seismic tomography, magnetotellurics, global and regional geodynamic models and tectonic context.

Greyscale image of second vertical derivative (2VD) of total magnetic intensity reduced to the pole (TMI RTP). Darker tones indicate lower values and lighter tones represent higher values. Reduction to the pole filters magnetic anomalies to appear as if the Earth's magnetic field were locally vertical, as at the magnetic pole (assuming all magnetic sources are inductively magnetised). The 2VD filter shows the vertical rate of change in the first vertical derivative (1VD) of the Earth's total magnetic field and enhances boundaries and structural detail of shallow sources further than 1VD. The 2VD filter enhances magnetic textures in the image, however, it also amplifies non-geological noise. Variations in the magnetic field are caused by lithological factors, principally magnetite (and/or pyrrhotite) content. This Statewide image was generated by merging many individual airborne magnetic surveys.

The NSW Government has ruled out considering a significant proportion of the state’s coal regions for proactive release under the Strategic Release Framework for Coal and Petroleum Exploration. In these mapped areas, new coal exploration can continue to occur directly adjacent to an existing coal title, if an exploration licence applicant meets approval requirements. If a coal exploration licence is granted, an operator is not permitted to access the land unless they have an access arrangement with the landholder. The grant of a coal exploration licence is not a guarantee of mining. An operator would still need to obtain development consent under the planning framework.