Amid legal challenges on several sites the Tasmanian government has approved a new coal mine for the state, giving the go-ahead to a $50 million project in the Fingal Valley

The HardRock coal mine is set to give an economic boost to residents of the Fingal Valley, with reports it will extract about $180 million a year for the state’s economy. The coal dig received state government approval yesterday and should be operational within three years.

Tasmanian Resource Minister Bryan Green said it should create about 100 jobs. It is unclear what, if any, opposition the project will face. Legal troubles are set to continue over planned and approved operations at the Shree Minerals mine at Smithton and the Venture Minerals projects at Riley and Tullah near the Tarkine forest.

Protests and legal efforts have stymied progress on at least one of the small state’s mines, with stipulations made in recent approvals to protect the nearby rainforests and animal inhabitants.

The Fingal Valley and town of Fingal owes its existence to convicts and the boom from the discovery of gold in nearby Mangana around 1830.

“This will be a new export industry for Tasmania serving the needs of the rapidly growing Asian region,” Mr Green said.

The lease approval has also been welcomed by the Tasmanian Minerals Council.