The NSW Government has clearly identified areas where higher priority land uses mean that coal mining cannot occur. For the State Significant Development application SSD5156 - Rocky Hill area, the prohibition will apply to open cut mining only. Otherwise, within this area coal mining will be prohibited by State Environmental Planning Policy.

The Competitive Allocation Pathway is designed to maximise the value of a suitable unallocated coal resource through a competitive process. The Department of Regional NSW’s (Regional NSW) Guideline for the Competitive Allocation of Coal (December 2020) sets out when the Competitive Allocation Pathway applies.

Pending mineral claims granted under Part 9, Division 4, Section 190 of the Mining Act 1992 No 29.

Gazetted Reserves which exclude mining and/or exploration operations. Specifically for use in the Lightning Ridge and White Cliffs areas.

Survey Pegs used to mark out Mineral Claims in the Lightning Ridge and White Cliffs areas of NSW, Australia.

The government will consider releasing a limited number of new areas for coal exploration under the Strategic Release Framework for Coal and Petroleum Exploration. Under this Framework, the government may refer an area to the Advisory Body for Strategic Release (ABSR). If a coal exploration licence is granted, an operator is not permitted to access the land unless they have an access arrangement in place with the landholder. Release of an area for exploration is not a guarantee of mining. An operator would still need to obtain development consent under the planning framework.

Identifies areas in the Lightning Ridge Mineral Claims District and White Cliffs Mineral Claims District where the Department has declared reserves over which mineral claims cannot be granted, or can only be granted provided that special conditions are met, as defined by Part 17, Division 2, Section 367 of the Mining Act 1992 No 29.

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.

Identifies Mineral Claims Districts in the State of NSW as defined by Part 9, Division 1, Section 173 of the Mining Act 1992 No. 29. There are two current Mineral Claims Districts: Lightning Ridge Mineral Claims District, and White Cliffs Mineral Claims District.

In 1994 the Lightning Ridge Mining Board determined that the title ‘Preserved Fields’ would be applied to older mining areas which would not be returned to their previous land use, adopting less strict rehabilitation standards.