Muswellbrook Council will receive $1.4 million a year for community infrastructure and $465,000 a year for roads for the life of the mines under voluntary planning agreements reached with owners of Mount Arthur, Mount Pleasant and Bengalla mines in the past year.

The figures are based on the local community receiving about 6¢ a tonne of coal removed.

The commitments followed ‘‘forceful’’ negotiations between the council and mine owners , Muswellbrook mayor Martin Rush said.

‘‘Council negotiates on mine proposals to ensure the community does not subsidise coal mining companies,’’ Mr Rush said.

The council has also set a target of 60 local people being employed as mine and power apprentices each year. By 2012/13 there will be 28 local apprentices employed under the target program each year.

A Newcastle Herald poll of NSW councils with mines found Muswellbrook has negotiated substantially greater community contributions from mines than other councils.

No other council had received, or had commitments for, a cents-a-tonne figure for a coalmine project.

Singleton Council, with many more mines, received just $56,700 from three mines for roadworks, and one-off payments totalling less than $400,000 for community projects in the past two years.

Cessnock Council has received one-off payments totalling about $200,000 for community projects in the past two years and nothing for roads.

NSW Minerals Council chief executive Dr Nikki Williams said it was unfortunate that the current planning system required councils to negotiate with mines for infrastructure funds during the mine approval process.

‘‘The current system is a mess,’’ Dr Williams said.

A Department of Planning spokesman said the department was ‘‘carefully analysing the issue of community contributions from coalmines and working on a comprehensive and consistent approach to the issue across each region’’.