As the Newcastle Herald reported yesterday, the Korean government agency Kores intends re-lodging plans for the underground mine, which was rejected by former planning minister Tony Kelly weeks before Labor lost power in March.

Dooralong Valley resident Alan Hayes said it should not be allowed to threaten the Central Coast water supply.

Mr Hayes released a photograph of himself with Mr O’Farrell and the Coalition’s contingent of Central Coast MPs wearing red anti-Wallarah 2 ‘‘water not coal’’ T-shirts.

Former Wyong Labor MP David Harris said that considering the mine for a second time would be the ‘‘ultimate betrayal of the Wyong and Central Coast communities’’.

He reminded the government that the Liberal Party had written to the coal alliance, saying that ‘‘if necessary, special legislation will be introduced ... to protect the Wyong water catchment’’.

‘‘A NSW Coalition government will not permit any coalmining in the water catchment district,’’ the letter to the alliance said.

A spokeswoman for Mr O’Farrell said the government had to consider all development applications on their merits.

‘‘ This would include any application received from Kores,’’ she said.

Wallarah 2 general manager Kerry Heywood wanted to ‘‘make it absolutely clear that water was not an issue in the previous determination’’.

‘‘The O’Farrell government’s commitment to an independent process free from political interference is entirely consistent with safeguarding the environment and the water supply,’’ Mr Heywood said.