The Tarrawonga Coal Mine is located in the Gunnedah Basin, in the Gunnedah Coalfield, which contains sedimentary rocks, including coal measures, of Permian and Triassic age. Regionally, there are two coal-bearing sequences in the Gunnedah Basin, namely:

- Early Permian Bellata Group (comprising the Maules Creek sub-basin and Mullaley subbasin, separated by the Boggabri Ridge);
- Late Permian Black Jack Group.

The Tarrawonga coal resource is located within the Maules Creek sub-basin of the Early Permian Bellata Group. The target coal seams within the Maules Creek sub-basin are contained within the Maules Creek Formation. They subcrop on low hills to the west of theTarrawonga area and dip towards the east.

Target coal seams within the open cut extent are Braymont, Bollol, Creek, Jeralong, Jeralong Lower, Merriown, Merriown Lower, Velyama, Nagero.

Individual coal seams range up to approximately 4.5 m thick, and average 1.5 m. They onlap the Boggabri Ridge to the west of the Tarrawonga area and thicken towards the east.

Mine operations at Tarrawonga involve open cut mining with a truck and excavator/shovels fleet to produce up to 3.5 Mtpa ROM. The extent of mining operations were reduced in February 2021 in ML 1693 to avoid mining the Upper Namoi alluvium and within 200 m of Goonbri Creek.

Mining is approved at Tarrawonga up until 2030 and incorporates the following key activities:
• Continued development of coal mining operations in the Maules Creek Formation to facilitate a Run of Mine (ROM) coal production rate of up to 3.5 Million tonnes per annum (Mtpa).
• Transport of ROM coal via the approved haulage route to the Whitehaven Coal Handling Preparation Plant (CHPP), or to the Boggabri CHPP via internal haul roads, subject to a suitable commercial agreement between Boggabri and Tarrawonga Mines;
• Progressive backfilling of the mine void behind the advancing open cut mining operation with waste rock and minor quantities of reject material from the Gunnedah CHPP; and
• Progressive development and use of new haul roads and internal roads, water management infrastructure as well as stockpiles, laydown areas and gravel/borrow areas.

The ongoing development of Tarrawonga will involve the sequential clearing of vegetation and removal of soil (land preparation) prior to the removal of overburden and interburden, mining of the identified coal resource and progressive backfilling and rehabilitation of mined-out areas.

By the end of the Mine ........

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