A MINING company has signed an agreement that could see a...

A MINING company has signed an agreement that could see a dormant Bacchus Marsh mine open for business and export brown coal to countries such as China and India.

Mantle Mining has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with mining technology company Exergen to investigate the feasibility of the mine, believed to contain between one to two billion tonnes of brown coal.

Mantle Mining announced the deal last week in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange.

Mantle Mining managing director Ian Kraemer said the project was still in the application stage but if it went ahead significant economic benefits could flow to the local community.

?Depending on how big the mine is, if the mine gets up, there is obviously local, long-term employment,? Mr Kraemer said.

He said this could mean jobs for 200 to 300 people.

?Most coal utilisation and mine developments of any normal scale are based on a minimum 10 to 20 years lifetime,? he said.

But Greens federal candidate for Ballarat, Belinda Coates, said the proposal took the focus away from generating jobs in sustainable industries.

?We know strong action on climate change will result in 32,000 jobs for the Ballarat region by 2030, including Bacchus Marsh,? she said.

?That?s 8000 more than weak action and strong action does not involve new coal mines.?

Mr Kraemer said his company would not be involved in the project if it relied on outdated brown coal processing technologies.

He said Exergen?s new water-extraction and drying method for brown coal production had the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions.

Ballarat federal Labor MP Catherine King said the location of a coal production plant was a state government issue but a federal Labor government was committed to creating a sustainable Australia.

Meanwhile, Liberal candidate for Ballarat Mark Banwell gave in-principle support to the proposal as long as it met proper environmental regulations and review

AS mantle holders we know that there is support from the locals for this project,which makes it far differant from the deans marsh project

http://melton-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/boom-expectations-in-bacchus-marsh/