The Hunter Mining Club has officially launched in NSW, with the sold-out event held at Singleton Diggers welcoming over 200 mining industry representatives, from contractors to METS companies and mining houses.

At the networking luncheon, the focus was on establishing connections with contacts old and new, collaborating to unify the industry, and discuss pressing issues. Guest speakers Stephen Galilee, CEO NSW Minerals Council and Cris Shadbolt, General Manager at Yancoal’s Mount Thorley Warkworth (MTW) mine spoke passionately about the challenges and opportunities facing the industry, from both policy and site-based perspectives.

Stephen praised the Hunter Mining Club (HMC) as an “additional effective platform to support the coal mining industry here in the Hunter and across New South Wales”.

He also added that coal-fired power would be here for a bit longer than most people expect, with much more to come for the industry.

“The last two years have been record-breaking for global coal production and consumption. While NSW’s coal exports fell post-COVID, they are now rising again year-on-year to be nearly at the highest levels they’ve ever been.”

He painted a bright future for demand in a challenging legislative environment – using the Biodiversity Offset Scheme as an example. The Scheme, established over a decade ago, now comprises seven legislative pieces of legislation totalling over 1,000 pages, with 50 separate scheme guidelines (2,000 pages), plus 30 online compliance and information sites.

“It’s not just a problem for our industry but for the renewable sector as well, and it’s making large infrastructure projects and major developments in New South Wales potentially uneconomic.”

These policy and legislative levers affect companies at all levels of the mining industry supply chain, from coal output right through to the employment and community contributions discussed by Cris Shadbolt, General Manager at MTW.

“As the coal price remains somewhat unpredictable, cost recovery ratios across the industry are only becoming narrower. Although it’s the mining houses’ responsibility to manage this operating environment, we all have a vested interest in ensuring we can continue to operate.

“What we don’t see and hear about are all the great things the mining industry does for communities, financial investment and the development of our people. We build leaders from the ground up who understand risk and opportunities, growing into strong leaders.

“We can do better in educating the country that, without mining, future Australia will not be the great place to raise our families that it is today.”

Cris described MTW’s deep ties to the Hunter Valley as something to be celebrated and leveraged for responsible, productive and future-focused mining.

“The Hunter Valley has the expertise, experience and commitment to lead change, not just in NSW, but around the country. I believe forums like this, the Hunter Valley Mining Club, are an integral part of these changes and provide opportunities for the industry to adapt, change and collaborate.”

HMC Director Jodie Currie welcomed the support from attendees, saying that the HMC has been a strategic expansion over a decade in the making.

“I truly believe that the establishment of the Hunter Mining Club will help to build a platform for supplier and mining companies alike to network, collaborate and advocate together for the future of our industry.”

The next HMC luncheon will be held in September, featuring a C-suite panel discussion. Tickets will go on sale in late July. For more information or to sign up for event updates, visit www.hunterminingclub.com