A decision on the proposed Brandy Hill rock quarry expansion has been deferred for a second time by Environment Minister Sussan Ley.
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The controversial proposal which requires federal environmental approval after being given the go ahead by the state independent planning commission in July has been pushed back to October 30.
The quarry owner Hanson has applied to expand its current mine to include 52 hectares of koala habitat.
A spokesperson for Ms Ley's office said that the timeframe for the decision on whether to approve the proposal had been extended to allow for the completion and consideration of additional site survey work.
As of October 6, the minister had received 888 letters and submissions.
"The minister visited Brandy Hill on September 30 to personally inspect the site and to meet with stakeholders, including with local residents," the minister's spokesperson said.
"She will make her decision after the department finalises its assessment and recommendation which will be based on a range of relevant information including consideration of the proposal's environmental impact statement, recovery plans, conservation advices and threat abatement plans for the relevant species impacted by the proposal, the additional site survey work, information about the impacts of the 2019-2020 bushfires and the report prepared by Dr Witt and Prof Clulow for the Brandy Hill and Seaham Action Group."
Victoria Jack, campaign manager for Save Port Stephens Koalas, said that the minister would be basing her decision on the best evidence and the best science.
"Well, the science says koalas are breeding in the area and that it's high suitability habitat," Ms Jack said.
"The koala and conservation scientists who wrote the report are independent, academic experts who used state government spatial data to assess the habitat, and who found evidence of koalas breeding within a kilometre of the quarry site.
"If this isn't enough to convince the minister to protect koala habitat at a time when they're facing extinction in NSW, quite frankly, we don't know what would be."
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi said that there was only one decision that makes any sense: "reject the quarry expansion. The koalas and future generations will be forever grateful."
A Hanson spokesperson said that the firm was aware the minister had sought additional time and understood the need for due process in these decisions.
"Hanson continues to engage proactively with all relevant stakeholders, including the local community, for the proposed expansion of the Brandy Hill Quarry."
