This time the debate focused on whether the coal company has plans to conduct underground mining operations in the future.

The Greens raised the issue on Wednesday when they released information they had uncovered in a Queensland Hunter Gas Pipeline submission and in the response to the submission.

The submission and response said there was a need to avoid the proposed Bickham Coal mine site since the mine proponents had expressed a desire to proceed with underground mining on the western side of the New England Highway.

However, the Bickham Coal Company was quick to reject any claims that they intend to mine underground and said they never intended to mine west of the highway.

Bickham Coal director John Richards said he did not know who provided the information for the submission but presumed it was a misunderstanding.

Mr Richards said the company does not have an exploration licence for that area and have not conducted any drilling to examine coal in there and the only drilling done there was for water monitoring bores which revealed there was no coal deposits of commercial value.

“We have not got an intention to mine in that area,” he said.

Mr Richards said the geology of the landscape at Bickham is unsuited to underground mining due to the strip ratio of the coal and steeply sloped coal seems.

Mr Richards said the company wanted to focus on the 36 million tonne open cut mine that is currently being considered by a NSW Government appointed independent assessment panel.

However, in reply to the denial by Bickham Coal Company, Greens MP and mining spokesperson Lee Rhiannon called on it to come clean about its secret underground coal mine expansion plans in a media state.

“The community is rightly concerned about the impact of subsidence from underground coal mining on the nearby Pages River,” Ms Rhiannon said.

“Bickham Coal has no doubt made long term plans to exploit local coal reserves using whatever mining method they see fit,” she said.

“It is standard business practice in the NSW coal industry to get approval for a small mining project and then apply for one extension after another, until they have a huge mine.

“We have seen this approach with BHP Billiton’s Mt Arthur Mine in Muswellbrook. It has expanded for one pit to a series of open cut and underground mines. Bickham looks set to go the same way.”