[2] The mine has been mired by political corruption[3] and years of community legal action and direct action against the destruction of the Leard State Forest - in which the mine is situated - farmland, destruction of Gamilaray cultural sites and health impacts on surrounding communities.
The mine was fully approved in July 2013, and first sales of coal occurred on 9 January 2015.
[9] In 2013, Jonathan Moylan produced a fake press release which adversely affected Whitehaven's stock price.
Over 350 people have been arrested as part of broader campaigns against coal mining in the area, including a number of celebrities such as former Australian rugby team captain David Pocock who locked on to mining equipment in 2014.
[12] The blockade at Maules Creek became the subject of a documentary film by Joao Dujon Pereira entitled Black Hole.