Federal minister for the environment Greg Hunt has "stopped the clock" on commonwealth approval on the controversial Shenhua coal mine on the Liverpool Plains.
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At a press conference in Tamworth this afternoon, Mr Hunt said in the last 24 hours he had issued a significant advice to the Shenhua Watermark company.
The mine will be investigated by the Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development (IESC) due to concerns over the vertical connectivity of aquifiers.
Mr Hunt said he was determined hitting pause on the project would ensure the government had the best advice on water modelling before making a decision.
The decision was backed by minister for agriculture Barnaby Joyce.
The announcement means the 30 day deadline is null and void, but Watermark project manager Paul Jackson expressed no surprise the minister had requested more information from the IESC and expressed "every confidence" the mine would be approved.
Mr Jackson said he had noted the minister's decision to refer the project to the independent expert committee for additional water advice.
"The Project was advised in 2013 that the Water Trigger would be applied as part of the Commonwealth assessment and we have prepared accordingly," Mr Jackson said.
"Shenhua stands by the scientific assessments undertaken to date and has every confidence this additional review will re-confirm the conclusions reached in the NSW assessment process."
