SYDNEY/PERTH (Sept 30): Glencore on Wednesday won approval to continue operations at its Hunter Valley thermal coal project in Australia until 2045, after a state government found the economic benefits outweighed the environmental impact.

The decision was criticised by environmentalists, who said it would worsen pollution and make it harder for Australia to hit its emissions targets, but welcomed by the miner, which employs 1,500 workers at two open-cut coal mines at the site in New South Wales state.

"Our deepest and most sincere thanks must go to our dedicated workforce, our local suppliers and the broader Hunter community," said Dave Foster, the general manager of Glencore's Hunter Valley operations.

New South Wales' Independent Planning Commission said the impact of the project was "on balance, outweighed by its benefits to the Hunter region and NSW, including continued employment, economic activity, support for local business, ongoing royalties and taxation revenue."

Australia, the world's largest per capita producer of coal, has invested heavily in its renewables industries in recent years, and is committed to reaching net zero by 2050.

"What (New South Wales) exports as coal, we import back as bushfires, floods, heatwaves and droughts. Climate harm does not stop at the border, and neither does the responsibility for it," said Greg Mullins, from the Climate Council environmental group.

Lock the Gate, another group campaigning against fossil fuels, said the pollution created from the mines would undo Australia’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Uploaded by Liza Shireen Koshy