The New South Wales Government is committed to ensuring that the mining industry meets contemporary standards for environmental management. Subsidence Management Plans  are required to be submitted by all holders of mining leases proposing to undertake underground coal mining that has the potential to result in subsidence of the land surface above the mining area. The Subsidence Management Plans are then reviewed through a whole-of-government approach by the Subsidence Interagency Committee.

Subsidence Management Plans (SMPs)

Subsidence Management Plans (SMPs) are prepared by leaseholders to predict potential impacts of underground operations and identify how important natural and built features are to be managed. Management may involve the avoidance of damage to particularly significant features, the mitigation of damage, or rehabilitation.

An SMP appropriate to the nature and scale of the potential subsidence impacts must be prepared and approved before new mining (i.e. mining not previously approved) can commence.

SMPs must describe the:

• area that may be affected;
• process of subsidence prediction employed;
• prediction and assessment of subsidence impacts on the area affected;
• consultation process undertaken with government agencies and the community;
• results of that consultation; and
• proponent’s proposals to prevent, mitigate or rehabilitate subsidence impacts.

The SMP review considers all potential impacts on landholders and the environment. The views of the community and other government agencies are taken into account during the assessment process.

Whole-of-government approach

The SMPs are reviewed through a whole-of-government approach by the Subsidence Management Plan Interagency Committee. The committee was established to ensure a thorough assessment of each SMP. The aim of the committee is:

• to advise the Deputy Director-General, NSW Department of Primary Industries Mineral Resources of the environmental implications of predicted subsidence as detailed in Mine Subsidence Management Plans, and to recommend an appropriate and effective suite of conditions to be attached to any approval.
• to review annually the results of monitoring supplied by mining companies in compliance with their approvals and to make recommendations on any amendments to subsidence management or to rehabilitation methods.
• to advise on the management of subsidence controlled under section 138 approvals, particularly in relation to sensitive areas and where those approvals are granted after 31 December 2003.

The committee includes representatives from each of the following agencies:

• Department of Planning
• Department of Natural Resources
• Department of Environment and Climate Change
• Department of Primary Industries - Fisheries
• Dam Safety Committee
• Sydney Catchment Authority
• Mine Subsidence Board

Other agencies, e.g. Department of Utilities Energy and Sustainability, the Heritage Office and the local council (where it is the consent authority), or other officers of the member agencies, may be invited to attend specific meetings where their interest is recognised by the committee.