John Barilaro, Deputy Premier of New South Wales’  (NSW) is exploring ways to overturn the Independent Planning Commission’s (IPC) decision to block an AU$958 million (US$743 million) coal mine expansion on environmental safety grounds. The deputy premier met with several key figures in the coal and steel industry at major steelmaker BlueScope Steel’s headquarters in Wollongong to discuss the future of coal mine operations and the potential economic fallout of the IPC’s decision. The expansion was proposed to the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment last October by West Australian mining company South32. It was initially approved with the department saying it would provide “major economic and social benefits” while protecting around 400 local jobs. South32 is seeking to expand its Dendrobium mine west of Wollongong, Illawarra, and plans to extend operations until 2048. The expansion was predicted to net an additional 78 million tonnes of coal from the …