The company must transport 90 per cent of the mine’s workforce to and from the facility via shuttle bus – in April last year it was fined $3000 for failing to do so.

Last month, Whitehaven put in an application to the NSW government requesting this condition to be changed. 

Communities close to the mine are worried if the company’s request is granted, there will be an huge influx of tired drivers on the road.

Peter Wilson lives on a farm neighbouring the mine and is “really disappointed to see the conditions watered down”.

“For me, I strongly believe it’s a safety issue, putting that many people on the road,” Mr Wilson said.

“The reason they had the shuttle was to take people off the road after they had done a 10-hour shift. Putting tired people on the road is putting the community at risk.”

Instead of trying to bring their standards up to the approved conditions, Mr Wilson said Whitehaven was moving the goal posts.

Greens MP and mining spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham said this was a classic example of a mining company walking away from its obligations.

“This is just the thin edge of the wedge,” Mr Buckingham said. “We invariably see this across the state, time and time again. Other conditions are rolled back and fall, too, as the mine progresses.

“The approval concern is not worth the paper it’s written on, because what is agreed on and what happens are two different things.”

Whitehaven said the modification is something their workforce wanted – 70 per cent of which is locally based.

“We do not employ fly-in, fly-out and this is a huge positive for the local area and the local economy,” a Whitehaven spokesperson said.

“The suggestion that this modification is opposed in the community is totally inconsistent with all of our consultations with our local workforce, council, local business and other important stakeholders who are supportive of it.” 

The NSW Department of Planning and Environment said it would assess all applications on their merits and public feedback was closely considered.