.
For approximately fifteen hundred Hunter Valley mine workers, this decision offers relief. For Australians concerned about climate change, it raises a difficult question: how long can we keep extending coal production while promising to cut emissions?
NSW’s Independent Planning Commission has approved the continuation of Hunter Valley Operations, with its North mine allowed to operate until 2045 and its South mine until 2042.
Federal environmental approval is still required.
The employment stakes are real. These jobs support families, local businesses and communities. Workers deserve security, and nobody should casually dismiss what losing a major employer would mean.
But the climate consequences are real, too.
The commission acknowledged an estimated 809 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from mining operations and the eventual burning of the coal, largely overseas.
That distinction matters. Emissions from exported coal are generally counted where it is burned. But the atmosphere doesn’t distinguish between Australian emissions and Australian coal burned somewhere else.
My view is that protecting workers requires much more than extending a mine’s operating life.
An approval provides permission to produce coal. It cannot guarantee future demand, prices or employment through to 2045.
If governments describe this as buying time for a gradual transition, they must explain exactly how that time will be used.
Where are the replacement industries? Which projects have funding? Will new jobs offer comparable wages? And will workers help shape the decisions affecting their futures?
Those questions need answers now.
There’s also a credibility test for climate policy. Governments should explain how continued coal production fits their commitments, including the consequences beyond our borders.
Simply repeating “jobs” or “net zero” won’t resolve the tension.
I think the strongest response combines a serious emissions assessment with investment that gives the Hunter genuine economic choices.
Workers shouldn’t have to choose between defending their livelihoods and supporting climate action.
And another two decades of approval should come with a transition plan people can inspect: funded, measurable and already underway.
Craig Hill is a Brisbane-based author, journalist, teacher, business consultant and social justice campaigner. He is the General Manager of the Australian Book and Language Studio.
Please check out our online shop where you can buy all our Doctor Who books as paperbacks or eBooks.
I hate to ask, but I need your help. For some time now, I have been bringing you video Q&A sessions with politicians and political commentators, as well as my own news and political commentary. However, the production costs are considerable, so I am asking if you can donate a small amount to assist. Click below to read more.
Follow Me on Social Media
Discover more from Craig Hill Media and Business Services
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.