The panel development is an essential part of longwall mining. With the advance of technology, and of full face longwall equipment it happens more frequently that the entry development cannot keep pace with the longwall extraction. This means that there are many mines dealing with the problem of the next panel not being ready to start with the extraction. This fact is exacerbated by industrial enlargements of the panels to a length of 7km. With an increased panel size, a two entry gateroad cannot meet the demand (e.g. air supply of the longwall operation). To achieve all these needs a three entry gateroad development is necessary. This would increase the work effort by 50% in contrast to a two entry gateroad. To keep up with this development, the industry targets an advance rate of 10 MPOH. The main goal of this is to automate the bolter miners support process, as well as to guarantee a safe and rapid roadway development. This thesis investigates the current needs and layouts in roadway development based on the survey of the “Australian Coal Industry’s Research Program” (ACARP). An example of a typical Australian coal mine will show the extraordinary material consumption with the related time consumption. The calculated consumption of materials in connection with the lack in available space on the bolter miner changes the logistic procedure significantly. First tests of a mechanized drill rig from Sandvik, will further underline the approach of automated bolting units. A simulation of ACARP shows a possible new design for the bolter miners with the implemented automation devices. Other important aspects are the safety issues because the bolting process is the most dangerous process in an underground coal mine. A report of the NSW Government (Department of Industry) demonstrates the great risks of these activities and underlines the importance of the automatization of the support processes.