Bengalla hosted its biggest ever Community Open Day at Muswellbrook Showground with about 7000 people streaming through the gates.

The day was an opportunity for the community to get up close and personal with some of the big trucks, and machinery that operates at the mine but also meet suppliers and enjoy a fun family day out.

There was also an opportunity to head out to Bengalla mine. Buses ran every 15 minutes from 10am and each one was full.

Fiona Harten, Bengalla’s Community Relations Specialist said the day was wonderful.

“We were stoked with the day to showcase mining, and it was so wonderful to see so many community members come along.

“The bus tours were the most popular thing and unfortunately it booked out early so we will work on how we can get more people out to site next time. It was just a wonderful opportunity for our suppliers and community partners to come together.

“We had some different displays this year including a past present and future display of photos which a lot of people enjoyed looking at. There was also an overview of the mine and what we’re up to.”

General Manager Cam Halfpenny was equally impressed.

“It was a special day, and a big thanks goes to Fiona and the whole team for all the planning to put it all together and also all of our suppliers. We had exceptional support.

“Over 70 different suppliers were there on the day, and having the main stage with entertainment, it was just a great family day out.

“There has been a lot of negativity towards coal, but we have a very positive outlook and see a strong future for what we’re doing here.”