By Lewis Jackson

SYDNEY, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Australia approved the expansion of three thermal coal mines late on Tuesday amid accusations from the mining industry that the centre-left Labor government is making it harder to do business.

Whitehaven Coal won approval to extend underground mining at its Narrabri thermal coal mine while Indonesian-owned MACH Energy Australia will expand its Mount Pleasant project, according to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water website.

Yancoal Australia subsidiary Ashton Coal also won approval for its Ravensworth mine complex.

All three projects were approved with conditions.

Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek last month blocked miner Regis Resources from building a tailings dam citing risks to Aboriginal heritage, sparking fury from the mining community about onerous and arbitrary rules.

But Monday's decision sparked outrage from climate activists and anti-coal group, Lock the Gate Alliance, said the move revealed the government's reckless disregard for Australian wildlife and climate change.

"We are shocked that a government that came to power promising to halt extinction and act on climate change has sunk so low," spokesperson Carmel Flint said in a statement.

($1 = 1.4639 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Lewis Jackson; editing by David Evans)

((lewis.jackson@thomsonreuters.com; +61477406822; Reuters Messaging: @lewjackk))