The Boggabri coalmine, operated by Idemitsu Australia, will involve digging an open-cut pit about five kilometres wide, to remove 7 million tonnes of coal a year until 2033.
The process will also include the clearing of 1300 hectares of native forests, much of which have been shown to be rich in rare animal and plant life.
The commission found that ''the potential impacts of this project on biodiversity are substantial'', but could be managed if ''stringent conditions'' were met, including allowing a large tract of forest to remain as a biodiversity corridor for animals to move through.
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| Satellite view of Leard State Forest |
Farmers, along with conservative groups like the Country Women's Association (CWA), want the best farming areas protected from any extractive industry.
Mrs. Wilma Laird, a member of the CWA for more than 50 years, is as passionate as her son about preserving for farmers the paddocks her sons still use to grow cotton and run their cattle.
''We've got the Maules Creek mine right on our doorstep,'' the mother of six and grandmother of 18 said.
''My grandfather's been dead 60 years and he knew there was coal here. I never thought that I would move out here and I'd be in the middle of it. It's been a bit of a shock.''
While Mrs Laird acknowledged the mines brought money to the local community through the purchase of land and some employment, she said the gain was short term.
''I've got this feeling that they're buying our community,'' she said.
Mr Laird said the existing mine in the state forest, owned by Japanese company Idemitsu, was currently extracting three-and-a-half million tonnes of coal a year. It wanted to extend the take to seven million tonnes a year.
Another two mines planned for the same area were even bigger, he said. ''If you want to be a farmer and live here over generations, this is a threat.''
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