Hunter valley complex

The Hunter Valley Complex, more commonly referred to as the Hunter Valley Operations (HVO), is situated in the coal rich Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, 24 kilometres north west of Singleton. It is owned by Rio Tinto through its subsidiary company Coal and Allied. The coal mining complex produces up to 12 million tonnes of semi-soft coking and thermal coal a year.

Hunter Valley Complex Began in 1968
Coal production began at the Hunter Valley Complex in 1968 at what is now known as the West Pit but at that time was part of the Howick coal mine. In 1979 the Hunter Valley No.1 Mine started production. The Howick and Hunter Valley mines were merged in 2000 which created the Hunter Valley Operations. The group grew in 2001 when Coal and Allied acquired the Lemington Mine that had been in production since 1971. In early 2009 the New South Wales government gave approval for Coal and Allied to replace their various mines separate approvals into the one approval under which the company operated the Hunter Valley South mining operation. This new blanket approval is valid for 21 years. The new approval gave authority to mine a further 84 million tonnes of coal as well as allow for various infrastructure upgrading to take place within the complex. Hunter Valley Complex mining operations owner, Coal and Allied, has been coal mining in the Hunter Valley for over 165 years and it currently operating three open cut mines in the region.

Hunter Valley Complex Employs Over 1,000 Workers
The Hunter Valley Complex is a multi pit open cut mining operation that uses the conventional dragline, truck and shovel method of mining that employs around 1,000 personnel who keep the operation going 24 hours a day, every day of the week throughout the year.

Hunter Valley Complex has Over 227 Million Tonnes of Coal in Reserve
Hunter Valley Complex open cut mines are centred on exploiting the Whittingham Coal Measures that make up the Hunter Coalfield, a part of the Sydney Basin coal deposits. At the end of 2011 the mine held coal reserves totalling 227 million tonnes. After the coal is removed from the coal seam it is washed before being prepared for sale. When ready it is loaded onto railway wagons that take it the 90 kilometres to Newcastle's Port Waratah Coal Terminal, for exporting to the companies overseas customers.

Coal and Allied Strike Trouble With NSW Warkworth Approval
Coal and Allied are currently attempting to integrate the proposed Warkworth extension to its north into its existing Hunter Valley operations but has occasioned difficulty, as opposition to the expanded Warkworth operation has resulted in earlier government approvals being overturned in the NSW Court of Land Management and Environment. The court over- ruled the approvals because it disagreed with the planning process that determined the mining extension was in the overall public interest.

Hunter Valley Complex Seeking to Expand Fine Reject Storage
Coal and Allied are presently seeking approval from the New South Wales Government to allow it to increase its fine reject storage capacity that would enable ongoing mining at its Hunter Valley Operations North. The approval would allow for the following:
- A boundary alteration to encompass Cumnock void 3
- Transport fine reject to Cumnock void 3 through a pipeline system
from Hunter Valley Operations North coal preparation plants
- Construction and operation of fine reject emplacement north of the Carrington Pit with the fine reject being taken to the site by means of pipelines connected to the Hunter Valley Complex North coal preparation plants.
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