Australia’s New South Wales planning commission has approved an extension of the Hunter Valley coal operations until 2045.

The Independent Planning Commission cleared the continuation project for the HVO North and South open pits near Singleton. HVO North can run to the end of 2045 and HVO South to 2042.

The joint venture, owned 51 per cent by Yancoal and 49 per cent by Glencore, will extract about 429 million tonnes of coal. The project is linked to an estimated 809 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over its life, mostly from coal burned overseas.

The commission said economic benefits to the region outweighed environmental impacts. The project supports more than 1,500 jobs and over 800 suppliers.

Federal environmental approval is still needed by December 31, 2026.

Climate groups slammed the decision. Rising Tide called it “the largest climate policy failure in NSW history”. The approval came after a six-year assessment with more than 10,000 public submissions.