The Glencore application was approved with conditions on Wednesday after a Department of Planning, Industry and Environment analysis found the proposal would disturb an net extra 4.3 hectares, at least partially disturb more than one artefact scatter site and have no additional noise or dust impacts at "sensitive receivers".

The IPC found that the mine extension was "is in the public interest" and "on balance the benefits outweigh the costs of the Application".

"(T)he Commission is of the view that the minor extension of the Barrett Pit and extraction of an additional 1.97 Mt of run-of-mine coal over an eight-month period will result in a minor increase in greenhouse gas emissions which are accounted within the reduction strategy Glencore has in place for its global greenhouse emissions," the decision states.

The Barrett pit proposal is part of a twin bid to expand the mine, linking with a push to recover an extra 135 million tonnes until 2044.

The mine was slated to close in 2023 before the smaller extension's approval.

The bid went to the commission because more than 25 objections were received during its public exhibition. Concerns at a February public meeting in Singleton centred around emissions, rehabilitation, the mine's closure and potential water impacts.

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