‘Ridge for mines, plains for farms’

It argues the mine's design would restrict coal mining to the ridge country which surrounds the black soil plains.

Not only will the precious black soil be preserved, Shenhua says, but local geology means the mine plan has been able to quarantine the highly productive fresh water Gunnedah groundwater formation from impact.

"We have worked for three years to position the project in the right location, which is the ridge country," said Shenhua's Watermark manager Paul Jackson.

Groundwater modelling had been peer reviewed twice in accordance with requirements from State regulators, he said.

At closest, mining will come within 150 metres of the black soil alluvial flats and within 900m of the Gunnedah formation.

The Planning Department's assessment report considered Shenhua's Environmental Impact Statement (a report developed by the company) and concluded "change in groundwater levels is not expected to result in any significant reduction in pumping yield from privately owned bores".

It said the "project is unlikely to result in any significant impact to groundwater users".

The closest private bore is two kilometres from an area that would be developed about 15 years into operations. The maximum predicted drawdown on a private bore is 1.4m.

"We believe we can co-exist with farming," Mr Jackson said.

"Farmers can do what they do best on the black soil plains and we can do what we do best in the ridge country."