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Awaba

Awaba ceased operating as a producing mine in early 2012, ending over 60 years of underground coal mining in the Great Northern Seam at the Lake Macquarie site.

The mine has made a significant contribution to the local community over the past 60 years. Originally state owned, Awaba began operating in 1947, supplying coal to Wangi Wangi Power Station for state-wide electricity generation.

In 2002, Centennial Coal purchased the mine and broadened Awaba’s domestic focus to include coal exports.

With coal reserves exhausted, mining ceased, however, the pit top is used as a service facility for the Newstan site.

For information regarding the ongoing use of Awaba pit top facilities, please visit the Newstan page.

Awaba community information and complaints*: 1800 247 662
Email: awabacolliery@centennialcoal.com.au

We operate our mines to minimise the environmental footprint, however, we welcome any enquiries and feedback from the community and make a commitment to respond promptly.

Key Documents

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Community Consultative Committee

A Community Consultative Committee (CCC) provides a forum for open discussion between representatives of the Company, community, council and other stakeholders on issues directly relating to the mine’s operations, environmental performance and community relations, and keeps the community informed on these matters.

As the Awaba pit top is being utilised as a service facility for Newstan, the CCC minutes associated with this site can be located under the Newstan operations page or click on the link below.


Community Complaints Register

The Awaba Community Information Hotline is 1800 247 662. A register of community complaints received by the mine can be located under the Newstan site page.

The following document(s) relate to the mine’s operating and licence conditions.

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Authorisations under the Mining Act

Document Name Size Document Date
Centennial Newstan Pty Limited Mining Tenements 41.84 KB 7/06/2021

Consents and Approvals under the EP and A Act

Document Name Size Document Date
Awaba Project Approval 10_0038 Mod 1 1.42 MB 25/11/2022

Environment Protection Licence

To view the Awaba EPL, visit the NSW Environment Protection Authority website.


Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC)

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act is administered by the Federal Government’s Department of Environment which is incorporated into the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Populations and Communities.

The EPBC Act requires any person who proposes to undertake an action that will have, or is likely to have, a significant impact on a matter of national environmental significance to refer that action to the Minister for a decision as to whether assessment and approval is required under the EPBC Act. This decision is referred to as a ‘controlled action’. Where it is deemed a controlled action, the Minister may approve the action and issue conditions of approval

Environmental Assessments (EAs) are an assessment of the environmental, social and economic benefits and impacts of a proposed project or modification to an existing project. EAs are regulated by the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure.

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Environmental Assessments

Approvals obtained to facilitate mining generally require management plans in consideration of various identified environmental impacts. These plans vary from operation to operation to reflect the operating conditions.

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Environmental Management Plans, Strategies and Programs


Rehabilitation Management Plan

All mines in New South Wales are required to conduct rehabilitation planning, risk assessment and annual reporting on progressive rehabilitation activities as part of their standard mining lease conditions.

The Rehabilitation Management Plan (RMP) has been prepared in accordance with the NSW Resources Regulator’s Form and Way: Rehabilitation Management Plan, as associated with the Mining Amendment (Standard Conditions of Mining Leases – Rehabilitation) Regulation 2021.

The RMP describes how the leaseholder proposes to manage all aspects of rehabilitation. It includes a description of proposed steps and actions, risk assessment, control measures, outcomes for the rehabilitation areas and how success against these outcomes is to be measured.

Document Name Size Document Date
Newstan Complex Rehabilitation Management Plan July 2022 47.99 MB 29/07/2022

Pollution Incident Response Management Plan

The Pollution Incident Response Management Plan has been developed to satisfy the requirements of the Protection of the Environment Legislation Amendment Act 2011 (POELA Act) which requires the preparation, implementation and publication of a Pollution Incident Response Management Plan.

The objectives of these plans are to provide guidelines and procedures for the effective control and reporting of pollution incidents to all relevant stakeholders.

Whilst personal contact details for the following document are available in the controlled on-site Pollution Incident Response Management Plan, they do not appear in this public document under provision of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998.

Document Name Size Document Date
Pollution Incident Response Management Plan 34.08 MB 17/07/2024

Subsidence Management

Subsidence Management Plans (SMPs) are prepared by mining lease holders to consider the potential impacts of underground mining and identify measures to manage such impacts. SMPs may contain requirements for the avoidance of damage to particularly significant features, the mitigation of damage, or rehabilitation of subsidence related impacts.

The following provides a summary of environmental monitoring data undertaken as required by Environment Protection Licences and Approvals. The purpose of this data is to provide the community with meaningful information on the performance of environmental controls.

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Annual Reports


Environmental Monitoring Reports


Independent Environmental Audits

Independent Environmental Audits are undertaken regularly as a component of each mining approval. The audit is undertaken by a suitably qualified independent expert. The purpose of the audit is to independently assess the environmental performance of the mine and whether it is complying with the relevant requirements of its project approval, any relevant mining lease and environmental protection licence.

Document Name Size Document Date
Awaba Independent Environmental Audit and Responses 2012 5.45 MB 31/12/2012

Transport Records

Document Name Size Document Date
Awaba Transport Records 2021 79.62 KB 13/08/2021