Since ~2008 when Shenhua paid ~$300mill to NSW Govt for the Watermark coal orebody - they have also spent further hundreds of $millions buying farms above the orebody and on further more detailed exploration. Lock the Gate the anti-resources landowners group has opposed Shenhua. After 2011 when the Liberal Govt was voted in the Resources Dept has shifted the regulatory goalposts and increased compliance on all resources explorers incl Shenhua such that they spend much time before the Land & Environment Court - that we now know is hostile to coal mining.
