Community

OPINION: Farewell and Thank You
This is my last contribution as the member for Hunter and I thank the Coalface team for the opportunity to contribute over such a long

Mateship Stands Strong in Annual ANZAC Shield
Mereweather Carlton took out the Premier annual Adams-Halters ANZAC Shield on April 25th against the Wanderers following a moving Anzac Day ceremony. The Wanderers Rugby

Shovel King Bags Another Win
Hunter Valley Coal Miner, Mark King has taken home the Miner of the Year title in the 2022 Lighting Ridge Easter Festival Miner’s Rickshaw Challenge,

Next Gen Engineers
The University of Newcastle’s award-winning annual Science and Engineering Challenge was back again for three exciting days in Muswellbrook on April 27, 28 and 29.

Meet the Candidates
The upcoming Federal election on May 21 is an important election not just for Australia, but also for the coal mining industry. We’ve asked the

Muswellbrook Mine Milestone
For over a century Muswellbrook Coal Mine has been contributing to the Muswellbrook community. With the mine closing later this year they are commemorating the

Eating for Optimal Energy
On a scale from 1 to 10 where would you rate your energy level right now? 1 being flat on your back can’t get out

My Mining Life: Ben Edwards
Who are you and what do you do? Ben Edwards – Mobile Maintenance Superintendent at Bengalla Coal Mine. When did you start in the mining

Supplier Insider: East Coast Water Blasters
Tell us about the business? East Coast Water Blasters specialises in the sales, service and repairs of commercial and industrial pressure cleaners and plumbers jetting

Time for Tea
The sound of kettles boiling is set to ring across NSW on Thursday 19 May for Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea in support of Cancer Council.

Thiess Digs Deep for Volunteers
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service has joined forces with mining services provider Thiess in a proactive recruitment program designed to reengage with volunteers after a

COMMUNITY GIFT: Upper Hunter Youth Services ‘Fun Day’
This month the Complete Parts and @ The Coalface $500 Community Gift goes to Upper Hunter Youth Services, an organisation dedicated to supporting young people

Boost for Community Groups
Ashton Coal is investing around $48,000 into community groups across the Upper Hunter Valley region through Yancoal’s 2022 Community Support Program. This funding will be

HVO Support Local Ambos
Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) have generously donated 15 pulse oximeters to St John Ambulance, Singleton Division. Pulse oximeters are a vital piece of medical equipment

Learn from the Lawman
Stuart Barnett is our mining industry’s leading personal injury lawyer. This month he has some important advice about Accident Pay under the Black Coal Award.

Spotlight on Industrial Deafness Claims
Coal Mines Insurance have been working hard to make the process for lodging a claim for industrial deafness easier. As a noisy industry, these types

Promising Partnership
Singleton Junior Rugby League are participating in Group 21’s first ever Women’s 9s competition hosting the final round at home on Saturday April 9, coinciding

Generous Glencore
Glencore are generously donating an incredible $2 million towards The Salvation Army’s 2022 Flood Appeal, which is aiming to raise $70 million to support the

2022 Hunter Safety Awards Finalists
In its sixth year, the Hunter Safety Awards team is proud to celebrate their line-up of 2022 finalists. The Hunter Safety Awards finalists include business

Rugby Reunion
The mighty Gunnedah Bulldogs first grade team of 1998 won the club its first premiership in 13 years that year, forging friendships that have stood

My Mining Life: Shena Newman
Who are you and what do you do? Shena Newman and I’m an Environmental Advisor for Maules Creek Coal. When did you start in the

Supplier Insider: Faber Toolboxes
Tell us about the business? Faber Toolboxes is a nationally renowned business manufacturing heavy duty toolboxes designed specifically for use in Australia’s harsh conditions. They

A New Chapter
Recently I discovered up and coming author Ned Stephenson. After checking out his first couple of books, I know it’s only a matter of time

Gunnedah Shire Council
First Meeting of the New Term for Newly Elected Council It has been a busy time for Gunnedah and for the newly elected Gunnedah Shire

Narrabri Shire Council
Sporting Wall of Fame Nominations Now Open Nominations are now open for the Narrabri Shire Sporting Wall of Fame, recognising the Shire’s greatest sporting representatives.

Community Gift: Kirinari Community Services
This Autumn the @ The Coalface $300 Community Gift goes to Kirinari Community Services, an organisation throughout regional NSW providing care and community services for

The DMI Difference
David Isbester kicked off his business from humble beginnings in 1986 at just 25 years of age and today, over 36 years later, DMI Engineering

Charity Ride Returns
Registrations for the annual Quarry Mining Mailrun Charity bike ride are now open for 2022 with the ride set for Sunday April 10. The first

Supplier Insider: Mitsubishi Liftrucks Australia, MLA
Tell us about the business? Mitsubishi Liftrucks Australia, MLA, is a leading supplier in the sale hire and service support of material handling equipment. We

Breaking the Mould
Erin Lee was the winner of the 2021 NSW Exceptional Woman in Mining award and throughout her remarkable career has been breaking new ground for

Breaking the Stigma
Meg Southcombe was recently named Muswellbrook Young Citizen of the Year for her community work and for raising awareness on mental health by bravely sharing

Community Gift: Walk for Autism
This month the Complete Parts and @ The Coalface $500 Community Gift goes to Walk for Autism 2022, raising much needed for funds to support

Backing Locals
BHP’s Local Buying Program is all about providing opportunities for local businesses and supporting local communities. Established in 2012, the purpose of the Local Buying

Supporting Wellbeing
Bengalla has once again thrown its support behind the wellbeing of its workforce and the wider community, unveiling a mine truck emblazoned with the Where

Protecting Their People
Glencore’s Mangoola CHPP marked off another year of operating without having a single Lost Time Injury (LTI) on January 24, 2022, taking their team to

Inaugural NRLW Knights Squad Step Up for 2022 Season
For the first time ever, the Newcastle Knights are fielding their NRL Telstra Women’s Premiership side in the NRLW with the proud support of the

Ridin 4 Mates
On a recent Sunday at Bulga Tavern, I met up with an amazing group of people, all gearing up to be a part of a

Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue
The Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue congratulates councillors elected to local councils in the December local government elections – including almost a dozen new faces. Local

Cash for Community
The first round of funding from the Community Economic Development Fund (CEDF) has been approved, with 13 community groups sharing in $526,333. In partnership with

Learn from the Lawman
Stuart Barnett is our mining industry’s leading personal injury lawyer. This month he has some important advice in relation to a Coal Miners entitlement to

Parallel Economics: Renewable Rubbish Rescue
The pursuit of a renewable energy future is a worthy undertaking, but an undertaking that is going to take a while to get right. One

OPINION: Knights and Mining Together Again in 2022
This year will make ten years of continuous NSW Minerals Council sponsorship of the Newcastle Knights, and once again we’ve partnered to host another Voice

‘To Hear for Life, Listen with Care’
March 3 is World Hearing Day. Its mission – to raise awareness on how to prevent deafness and hearing loss and promote ear and hearing

Stay Safe in the Sun
Safe Work Australia have published new guidelines on managing the risks of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR). While the sun is the main source of UVR,

Age Matters
Since the beginning of human history, ageing has been inevitable. However, what if it were possible to stay younger for longer and prevent the disease

From Miner to Mayor
This month I enjoyed a nice lunch at the Royal Hotel Muswellbrook with newly appointed Muswellbrook Mayor Steve Reynolds, to find out how he went

A Merry Start to 2022
Malabar Resources ended 2021 together with the communities of the Upper Hunter, helping local families, organisations and the elderly celebrate Christmas with cheer. The local

Message in a Bucket
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Bengalla Apprentices were unable to complete a project out in the community in 2021 so instead they completed an inspiring

Community Gift: Hunter Valley Cat Haven
This month the Complete Parts and @ The Coalface $500 Community Gift goes to Hunter Valley Cat Haven (HVCH). HVCH are a foster care rescue,

Walking to the Rescue
Liam Jackson, from Bulga Surface Operation, has completed a charity walk, raising a much needed $8,150 for Destiny Rescue. The charity is an Australian Organisation

Support your Westpac Rescue Helicopter
Over 70 solicitors across Northern NSW are donating 100% of their time and support to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service’s annual ‘Wills Week’ initiative taking

Community Forum
With a close eye being kept on the local Covid situation, the Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue is continuing to plan its Community Forum. Although scheduled

Learn from the Lawman
Stuart Barnett is our mining industry’s leading personal injury lawyer. This month he has some important advice as to whether you can claim workers compensation

Awarding Women
The 2022 NSW Women in Mining Awards are open for entries and are calling for women in the mining industry to register and share their

Power Up
The NSW Government has approved an application from Snowy Hydro to build a new 660 mega-watt gas-fired power station in Kurri Kurri. A spokesperson for

OPINION: Farewell to a Legend of our Union
Before Christmas, at a meeting of Union Delegates from coal mines and power stations across the District, I was honoured to be part of a

Learn and Lead
The 2022 WIMnet NSW Mentoring Program is now accepting applications from interested mentors and mentees. The Women in Mining Network (WIMnet) NSW aims to support,

Rugby Teams Come Together for Tonga
Raising funds for the Tongan community affected by the recent tsunami, Newcastle Pasifika Rugby Union side will be taking on the Hunter Wildfires in a

Gresham Kicks off Karting Career
With just one year of Australian Kart Championship (AKC) racing under his belt, 16-year-old Rohan Gresham has his sights on a podium finish in the

Empowering the Community
Whitehaven is taking a new approach to community investment, providing the local community with greater transparency and even more input into how Whitehaven’s discretionary sponsorships

Facing Floods
Heavy rainfall over the past few weeks has seen extensive flooding in the North West region. We had a chat with the region’s locals to

Leaders in the Limelight
The 2021 New England North West Business Award winners were announced on October 29 with a number of the regions mining industry leaders and businesses

Gunnedah Shire Council
New Year Starts on the Strength of Meeting the Challenges Gunnedah Shire is heading into 2022 following two years of incredible challenge. On top of

Narrabri Shire Council
Community Satisfaction Survey Results Released Narrabri Shire Council’s 2021 Community Satisfaction Survey has revealed that 91% of the community is supportive of Council’s vision for

Bis Covers all Bases
The Bis Underground Tomago team have raised $4,461 for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service after walking a whopping 1,736km during October 2021 as part of

A Time for Giving
CH4 Drilling have gone above and beyond donating over 450 toys and presents to Allambi Care, to be gifted this Christmas to children who have

Leaders Take a Leap
For the second year in a row Hughesy from A Plus Contracting & Poly Welding has taken top spot on the fundraising leaderboard raising a

COMMUNITY GIFT: Tons of Toys!
This month the Complete Parts and @ The Coalface $500 Community Gift has gone towards a ton of toys for the Complete Parts Christmas Giving

Sensational Support for Local Schools
Glencore has provided more than $270,000 for school projects as part of the latest round of funding from their Schools P&C Grants program. The funding

Learn from the Lawman
Stuart Barnett is our mining industry’s leading personal injury lawyer. This month he has some important advice about accessing your Superannuation after Total and Permanent

A Time for Giving
The Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue is helping spread Christmas cheer in local schools. Offered in conjunction with the Hunter River Times newspaper, the Dialogue Christmas

OPINION: New Memorial Wall a Sanctuary for Grieving Families
The 23rd of November was a special day for our union. After the disappointment of cancelling our annual Memorial Day in September for two years

Museum for Muswellbrook
Bengalla Mining Company has generously made available land in Muswellbrook for a proposed Upper Hunter Regional Museum, which will showcase the diversity and rich heritage

Revolutionising Safety
New ground-breaking predictive biometric technology is set to transform the way people and companies work through real-time health management, saving lives and increasing productivity by

Face Your Fear
Feeling some degree of anxiety when anticipating a painful experience or faced with potential danger is normal, but if you have developed an extreme fear

New Transport for TransCare
The first Bengalla Charity Golf Day is set to be a roaring success, with an incredible donation of a brand-new vehicle for TransCare. The Bengalla

Glencore Celebrates Partnership in Safety and Training
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service (WRHS) will be prominently featured on a giant haul truck tray at Glencore’s Mt Owen Glendell (MGO) mining complex as

Water Saving Initiatives Win Love Water Award
Port Waratah has taken out a Love Water Love Business Award for outstanding results in our Carrington Coal Terminal’s water management and efficiency improvement initiatives.

Christmas Donations for Community Kitchen
Mangoola Open Cut has cemented a great relationship with the Muswellbrook’s Red Door Community Kitchen (RDCK) through donations of food, funds and volunteers assisting Christmas

Desmond’s NRLW Debut
Singleton local and Hunter Valley miner, Phoebe Desmond has claimed her spot in the inaugural Newcastle Knights NRLW team. Mining and footy have run in

Vax Made Easy
CS Health is partnering with Pharmacy Guild of Australia to deliver fast, efficient and safe vaccinations against COVID-19 for workers across our coal mining industry.

In A Dizzy?
While feeling dizzy is quite common and normally nothing to worry about, frequent dizziness may be an indication of a more serious health issue. Dizziness

MY MINING LIFE: Luke Forward
Who are you and what do you do? Hi! I’m Luke Forward, and I’m Haulage supervisor at BHP Mt Arthur Coal. When did you start

SUPPLIER INSIDER: Truflo Pumps
Tell us about the business? Truflo Pumps’ core product focus is the design and building of bespoke dewatering pumps, water transfer and ancillary equipment for

Xmas Picnic
A Picnic at Singleton Showground is the new look for Samaritans Christmas Lunch in Singleton. Thanks to Northern Agricultural Association, the plans are well underway

Clubbing for a Good Cause
Local golfers in the Upper Hunter will take to the green to tee off for Cancer Council’s The Longest Day on Monday 13 December. The

Score for Singleton PCYC
Basketballers at Singleton PCYC are excited to see their hoops scores in bright lights on the new electronic scoreboard thanks to a $1,500 donation from

COMMUNITY GIFT: Muswellbrook View Club
This month the Complete Parts and @ The Coalface $500 Community Gift goes to the Muswellbrook VIEW Club. VIEW, which stands for Voice, Interests and

Driving Diversity
Join the team and help drive diversity and inclusion across the Hunter as part of the Women in Mining Network NSW Hunter Valley Subcommittee. Women

Learn from the Lawman
Stuart Barnett is our mining industry’s leading personal injury lawyer. This month he has some important advice about the cancellation of Certificates of Title. Last

Positive Results for UHMD Projects
Improved air quality, more water flowing in the Hunter River and continued growth of rehabilitated mined land, are all positive results highlighted by recent updates

Safety Awards Return
After a thrice postponed 2020 award ceremony, the Hunter Safety Awards are back to normal for their 2022 awards, with major sponsor AGL continuing their

SUPPLIER INSIDER: SKALA Australasia and DISAB Australia/NZ
Tell us about the business? SKALA Australasia (skala.com.au) is an equipment and solutions provider for mining, recycling and industrial processes. We combine leading international equipment

MY MINING LIFE: Hayden Lawrie
Who are you and what do you do? My name is Hayden Lawrie. I work for GB Auto at HVO. I’m an Auto Electrician in

R U OK?
This month we celebrated R U OK? Day, a national day dedicated to start a conversation, inspire and empower everyone to meaningfully connect with the people

Base to Base
Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service supporters across Northern NSW are being encouraged to lace up their shoes this October in a virtual fundraiser that will take

Deserving Donation
Like many organisations, the Denman Rotary Club’s ability to raise funds has been greatly impacted by COVID-19. Fortunately, the team at Mangoola Open Cut was

Proud in Purple
Mt Arthur Coal supported this year’s national Wear It Purple Day on August 27. The Mt Arthur Coal site-based Inclusion and Diversity team sold specially

Be a Hero
I’ve helped save the lives of over 50 people. No, I’m not a firefighter or a doctor. I just donate blood. Did you know that

Think Safe, Work Safe, Be Safe
October is National Safe Work Month where every Australian worker is encouraged to do their part in building safer and healthier workplaces. Safe Work Month
