The water study was required by the State Government as a precursor to any mining application.

A spokesperson for Bickham Coal Company said today the review was needed before the study was completed and submitted formally to the Department of Planning. It will then be placed on public exhibition.

The final draft of the study was submitted to the Department of Planning in February this year for inter-agency review and comment.

It was one of the most extensive studies to be undertaken prior to a mining application.

“The amount of detail in the draft study is illustrated by the five months it has taken for all the inter-agency responses to come in and be presented back to Bickham Coal Company,” the spokesperson said.

“We would have liked it to move quicker, but as this study is integral to any application both Bickham Coal and the State Government want it to be right before it is placed on exhibition”.