This sentiment was best expressed by John Tilley, who opened his address to the panel by saying the meeting was a 'total waste of time for those concerned'.

It was a sentiment echoed by other speakers, including Ben Smith who stated his disappointment that the PAC had been forced to hold a second meeting, and Graeme Osbourne who reiterated the stressful nature of these uncertain times.

As previously reported, following the first public meeting the PAC found in support of Springvale in what Centennial Coal CEO David Moult described as the most positive PAC finding that he had encountered.

Despite this the Planning Minister Rob Stokes and his department left it until just three weeks ago to announce conditional approval.

But just 48 hours later there was an about face with the minister instructing the PAC to hold a second public hearing that had been demanded by environmental lobbyists.

The result has been that after more than three years since Centennial first made its submission time has now run out and the workforce is being progressively stood down until the application is approved.

The emphasis on the presentations to the PAC committee at today's meeting was on the cruel and unnecessary disruptions mining families and indeed the local community as a whole have faced in the wake of this troubling development in the application process.

Many also expressed their frustration after Centennial Coal had gone above and beyond to ensure the proposal's success.

While local families face financial hardship and uncertain employment prospects, their fate is yet again hanging in the balance while the drawn out process continues.