11th February 2026
Environment group 4nature has launched action in the Land and Environment Court to force Centennial Coal to rehabilitate the long-dormant Angus Place coal mine near Lithgow.
4nature is a member of the Gardens of Stone Alliance that is calling for action to prevent coal mines in the region damaging sandstone cliffs, endangered upland swamps and Aboriginal cultural sites within the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area, a protected landscape adjoining the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.
"This mine should already have been cleaned up. It has been closed for 10 years but continues to damage some of the most spectacular and sensitive landscapes in NSW," said Jacqui Mills, spokesperson for the Gardens of Stone Alliance.
"Centennial Coal has failed to meet development consent obligations to rehabilitate the mine and restore the environment, and the NSW government has allowed them to get away with it.
"Whilst it remains inactive, to protect mining infrastructure, up to 13 million litres a day of toxic water is pumped from the disused mine, polluting waterways that flow into Sydney's drinking water catchment.
"The proper rehabilitation Centennial was supposed to complete would stop most of this pollution. The real reason Centennial Coal won't act is because they want to reopen and expand the mine into Angus Place West. This must never be allowed to happen."
Angus Place West would pose a serious threat to the unique Gardens of Stone area. Mining shallow coal seams - some as little as 43 metres below the surface - beneath fragile sandstone geology would place pagodas and cliffs at risk of collapse. Endangered wetlands, groundwater systems and Aboriginal heritage sites could sustain permanent damage.
"This is a high-conservation, high-consequence area; it should never be treated as expendable. Lithgow and greater Sydney deserve clean water and a well-managed transition away from coal to a diverse economy and clean, renewable future," Ms Mills said.
The Gardens of Stone Alliance was formed in 2005 to protect the natural and cultural values of the Gardens of Stone. Its members include the Blue Mountains Conservation Society, Lithgow Environment Group, Nature Conservation Council of NSW, Wilderness Australia, 4nature, Bushwalking NSW and the National Parks Association of NSW.
