As Mount Arthur’s BHP mine edges closer to the end of its life, a new Vice President New South Wales Energy Coal (NSWEC) has been appointed.
Liz Watts has been acting in the role since October last year and prior to that she was supporting the NSWEC team as Head of Transition, spearheading the mine’s 2030 pathway to closure program.
The Mt Arthur mine was approved to operate in Muswellbrook until 2026 and was hoping to extend until 2045, but the mine was put up for sale and the company failed to find a buyer.
Instead, BHP announced they would instead aim to shut in 2030 with the additional four years of operation seeing the coal extraction rate and transportation reduced while all the facilities remain in use. BHP said it would also allow for the revision of the final landform of the Mt Arthur open-cut site.
“Our vision for the closure of Mt Arthur Coal centres around people, planet, and prosperity, to deliver a positive legacy from BHP mining in the Hunter Valley.
“I started my career as a mining engineer student at the Bayswater Colliery, which is now Mt Arthur Coal, so it’s great to come full circle and return home,” she said.
Liz started working with BHP in 2016. She held several roles across Assets and Functions, including Chief of Staff to the Chief Technical Officer, Head of Asset Integration BMA, and General Manager at BMA’s Daunia mine that was recently sold to Whitehaven in Queensland.
Liz also holds a Bachelor of Mining Engineering, graduating with First Class Honours from the University of New South Wales, a Masters of Business, and is a Graduate of the Australian Company Directors.
With her deep industry experience in coal operations and her years of hard work, Liz was awarded the inaugural NSWMC Outstanding Woman in Mining and the Australian Mining Prospect – Mining Woman of the Year in 2013.
Liz said she’s excited to officially be given the Vice President NSWEC job at a company she’s proud to work for.
“Mt Arthur Coal is proud to have been part of the Upper Hunter since 1968 and we are determined to bring to life mining land re use aspirations for this region as part of delivering upon our vision.
“I am lucky to work at Mt Arthur Coal with an amazing team of people who are doing big things to set up this region for the future.”
Speaking of the future, BHP is conducting a project to gather the thoughts of the community on what they want to see to ensure a smooth transition to the 2030 closure.
Everyone in the community is invited to participate in the survey to share their thoughts, values, expectations, and any concerns. The survey is anonymous and only takes about 10-15 minutes to complete.
The survey is open until 12 April and as a thank you for completing it, BHP is offering a $20 voucher for each person who takes the time to fill it out.
| For more information on the Mt Arthur closure head to: www.bhp.com/pathway-2030 To take the survey head to: https://forms.office.com/r/PfvMEHvJYx |
