Felix Resources, which is involved in the joint-venture Ashton Coal project, made the political donations between February and June 2009, according to returns it lodged with the NSW Electoral Funding Authority.

Ashton Coal was granted an access and grazing licence last week for land near its existing operations that had formed the Camberwell village common for 120 years.

It plans to establish a new open-cut mine to the south of the village. A project application before the NSW Planning Department is dated March 11, 2009, and is being assessed.

In a document marked February 2009, Ashton told the department that to "recover the full resource it will be necessary to relocate or close this common in consultation with the Department of Lands and the common's trustees".

About the same time, February 11, Felix Resources says it gave $10,000 to the NSW ALP.

On February 28, it gave a further $400, followed by $2500 on March 30.

On May 8, it made another $10,000 donation, and gave $300 on June 19.

The donations were also disclosed in applications to the planning department.

Records show the company gave $15,000 to the NSW ALP in October 2007, and another $15,500 in 2008.

Camberwell resident Diedre Olofsson, who was a member of the Camberwell Trust dissolved by the State Government last week, said the donations added to the sense that the odds were stacked against the village.

"It just shows how much power a big mining company has," she said.

Asked why it wished to donate to the NSW ALP, a spokesman for Felix Resources said it had made and declared all donations in "full compliance" with the law.

"As long as the making of such contributions remains a legitimate way of participating in the political process, the company reserves its right to do so," the spokesman said.