Myuna Colliery

In early March, after months of negotiations, Origin Energy and Centennial Coal announced they had struck a deal for the continued supply of coal to Eraring Power Station until April 2029. This deal will keep Myuna Colliery open. Myuna Colliery is a captured coalmine. It was built to supply coal exclusively to Eraring Power Station via a dedicated conveyor system. The announcement of a three‑year agreement is therefore an enormous relief for around 300 workers employed at the mine and over a thousand more across the regional supply chain. I acknowledge the Myuna Colliery workers and their families. While facing the threat of job losses and uncertainty, they rallied together with the union, local businesses and community members for a future for Myuna Colliery. I also acknowledge the efforts of Origin Energy and Centennial Coal in arriving at a compromise position that for many appeared to be a forlorn hope until the very end.

But this cannot be the end of the story. I have been thinking for some years about what the future of our area will look like without a mining or major employer such as Eraring Power Station. I admit I thought the first effects of the energy transition would be seen and felt in the Upper Hunter Valley and, yes, I hoped that would shake us from complacency and we would see serious action in all our communities. As it has turned out, we have seen the first impact of the transition hitting hard in Lake Macquarie. We know that Myuna Colliery will close. It was originally set to close in 2025, along with Eraring Power Station, and under the new deal its life is now tied to the closure of the power station. Therefore, the eventual closure of Myuna Colliery and Eraring Power Station should not blindside us or leave workers in the lurch.

Workers, their families and the community should not suffer because of poor planning for a future we know is coming. We need to learn from recent events. My view at this early stage is that transition planning is not a can we can continue to kick down the road. Coal and energy companies have a responsibility to think about the futures of their workers and the community when they wind down or close. They need to make plans to redeploy, re-skill and upskill their workers, many of whom have dedicated their careers to these companies and to delivering reliable energy for our State. This is not just about the job security of individual workers, although that is vital to maintaining the strong social fabric of our communities. It is also about how mass job losses will cause a significant shock to the local economy.

Meaningful efforts need to be made to plan for the economic future of our coal regions, and quickly. We need to know what skills our workforce has and those needed to prop up future industries. To this end, I thank the Minister for Natural Resources for engaging with me and my staff on her Future Jobs and Investment Bill 2025, which will set up a framework to plan for structural economic adjustment and attract regional investment. I look forward to consultation on the regulations and further discussions about how we can set up Lake Macquarie and the Hunter for success beyond coal. I also believe our workers deserve far more transparency around transition planning and closures. Myuna Colliery workers and their families were scared. They were worried about paying their mortgages and pulling their kids out of school if they had to relocate.

Companies can—and must—do better to inform workers about their closure plans, especially when they know it is coming. Since late last year, I have had many conversations with Origin Energy, Centennial Coal, the Mining and Energy Union, and the New South Wales Government about the future of the Myuna Colliery. I also thank all those workers who reached out to me, including those who shared their stories at Wangi Bowling Club during the Myuna community family fun day. I will keep working with key stakeholders to strive for the best possible outcome for workers, their families and the community as the energy transition gains momentum.