One of the problems is that although the colliery has ceased production and the workforce paid off it is not officially ‘closed’ while ever the company continues on a ‘care and maintenance’ program.

Then there is the issue of who ultimately decides the future directions.

According to a mining union spokesman there was a time when the Joint Coal Board was the authority charged with the control of mining leases.

This all changed some years ago when the decision came under the portfolio of the Minister for Energy, Chris Hartcher.

And, the spokesman said, since the Coal Board role was removed there have been no known instances of companies being stripped of their leases under the circumstances such as exist at Baal Bone.

Baal Bone is owned by the Swiss multinational Xstrata.

If it remains closed it will join a very small group of major mines to suffer this fate in relatively recent times.

It ceased production because of restrictions on long wall mining beneath the National Park in that area and the company policy of rejecting the slower bord and pillar mining method.

According to some retrenched miners the longwall equipment was simply left underground after the last production shift — perhaps to play another day?

At its most recent meeting Lithgow Council determined to seek a deputation to the Minister with a view to having the Baal Bone leases re-allocated to another firm prepared to re-open the mine.

Cr Wayne McAndrew, who is also senior vice president of the CFMEU, said 84 mine employees had lost their jobs last month alone while 26 million tonnes of good quality coal remained in the ground.

See the edition of October 1 for the full story.