Bengalla Mine Environmental Impact Statement (1993) - Part 1 of 3

2:1
2.1 REGIONAL SETTING
The Bengalla Authorisation (A438) is located in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales, west of
Muswellbrook, within Muswellbrook Shire (Figure 1.1). The proposed opencut mine within A438 lies on the
northwestern side of the Hunter River, 3 km west of Muswellbrook township, between Wybong Road and the
Muswellbrook - Ulan Railway.
The Authorisation has an area of 19.2 km 2 and is bordered by Wybong Road in the north, Logues Lane in the east,
and the southeastern boundary of A102 in the south. The western boundary runs north south to the east of
Roxburgh Road.
The Muswellbrook area contains huge coal resources. Operating underground and opencut coal mines are located
east and southeast of the town (Section 2.10 and Figure 2.11). Detailed investigation and development of coal
resources west and north of Muswellbrook are currently taking place. An Authorisation to prospect for coal
(A459) has recently been granted in the Mount Pleasant area directly north of Bengalla. Further north, west of
Aberdeen, the Dartbrook Underground Coal Mine has commenced construction development. Undeveloped coal
resources have also been delineated in the Mount Arthur area south of Bengalla.
While Muswellbrook has historically been recognised for its rural attributes, coal mining and power generation
have been undertaken within the local area since the early 1900s. Two of the five power stations in the Hunter
Region, Liddell and Bayswater, are located within the Muswellbrook area. Liddell and Bayswater generate
approximately 40 per cent of the State's electricity by burning coal mined in the Upper Hunter Valley. The
Muswellbrook Council mottos of "Power and Plenty" and "Muswellbrook - Bursting with Energy" reflect the
combined industrial and agricultural nature of the area.
The current major land uses in the Bengalla area are dairying, beef cattle grazing, horse studs, and cropping on the
rich alluvial flats of the Hunter River.
2.2 TOPOGRAPHY AND SLOPES
The Bengalla area occupies undulating land which slopes overall southwards to the Hunter River. Alluvial flats of
the Hunter River are present along the eastern and southern margins of the area. The Hunter River flows through
the southeastern corner of the Authorisation, and then passes south of the area (Figure 2.1).
Overton Ridge forms a prominent hillside rising to 188 m AHD in the eastern part of the Authorisation area, see
BENGALLA EIS. F156
NOVEMBER 1993