Strong global demand for NSW coal from traditional and developing export markets in the Asia Pacific is delivering more coal mining jobs across regional NSW.
The most recent figures from Coal Services Pty Ltd for the 2018/19 financial year show that there were just over 22,300 hardworking coal miners in NSW – nearly 1,000 more than at the same time in 2018.
The largest growth in the number of people working in coal mining was in the Illawarra with almost 500 more coal miners in the region than at the same time in 2018. The 2,934 mining workers in the Illawarra is the highest since June 2014.
There are also nearly 350 more coal miners in the Hunter than a year earlier, helping to boost the Hunter economy, particularly in mining communities like Singleton, Muswellbrook, Cessnock and Maitland.
There are now over 13,300 coal miners working in the Hunter region.
In the Western Coalfields covering mining operations near Lithgow and Mudgee, nearly 150 more people are working in coal mining than a year earlier, taking the total to 3,228 – the highest number in seven years.
Job numbers in the New England region have been growing steadily over the last five years, providing wages for local families and delivering economic strength to communities like Gunnedah, Narrabri and Tamworth.
Over the last financial year coal mining job numbers in the region remained relatively steady at 2,814, down slightly on the year before, but still double the 1,400 coal mining jobs five years earlier.
This growth in coal mining jobs across regional NSW is also good for the more than 7,100 businesses in the suburbs of Sydney and across the State that supply mining operations in NSW.
NSW Minerals Council CEO, Stephen Galilee said the boost in coal mining employment comes from an increase in demand from the Asia Pacific.
“Strong demand for NSW coal means more NSW coal mining jobs. A recent report by Commodity Insights found that the current power generation policies of governments in the Asia Pacific region will drive an increase in demand for thermal coal imports of 495 million tonnes across the region by 2040,” he said.
“This represents significant growth opportunities for NSW coal exports with the potential to provide more job opportunities to people in regional mining communities.”
“With the right policy settings that make the most of growing opportunities, our coal mining industry can continue to deliver employment, investment and economic stability well into the future,” he said.
IMAGE | Strong global demand to boost mining employment in regional NSW.
