Coal Australia is loudly promoting the massive contributions of the coal industry and the incredible people who work in it. Daniel Bezuidenhout is one of those workers, a Maintenance Scheduler at Port Waratah. He moved to Australia from South Africa 17 years ago with his wife and has never looked back, especially since starting work in the coal industry.

Daniel worked at One Steel when he first arrived down under, then worked for Orica for 10 years before starting his job at Port Waratah just over two years ago.

Despite all his years working at Orica and living in the Hunter Valley, Daniel said it wasn’t until he started work at Port Waratah that he realised just how important coal is.

“I had no idea; coal isn’t the dirty thing that everyone talks about.

“I am very pro coal, everyone knows it, even family members who are very green! It does so much for everyone. From all the people involved, the jobs it creates from the train drivers to the Port Authority. If you take that away, what will happen? Where are those people going to find jobs?

“Also, I didn’t even know there were different grades of coal before this job.

“Our coal is incredibly clean. If you close our mines, countries like China and Russia will just use their dirty coal causing even more pollution. So why would we close our cleaner coal mines?

“People need to realise what coal actually does. If you want a car, steel for your house and the local hospital, lower electricity prices, coal makes these things happen.”

Daniel said he thoroughly enjoys his job in the coal supply chain.

“I enjoy the challenges. I work with many different groups of people; every tradesman has different views, so you have to juggle all the balls to make everyone happy or at least find the middle ground which makes it exciting.”

Daniel is one of the many voices in our industry proudly backing it. So is Coal Australia, whose purpose is to promote the significant and positive contribution of the Australian coal industry and to provide a voice for its people.

Daniel believes that is what we need more of – communication and promotion of the contributions the industry makes, every minute of every day.

“I think people are slowly starting to realise that you can’t just switch coal off and go green.

“I don’t think we promote our industry enough. It’s great Coal Australia is trying to promote and advertise it, we need to get the word out there more.

“So many companies have just been sitting back and letting people get away with their complaints about the industry, we need to fight back more. We have the numbers, we just need to advertise the good stuff – there is so much more good than bad when it comes to the industry.”

Daniel said he remembers learning about the coal industry when he was in school in South Africa. He was taught that Newcastle was the biggest coal exporter when he was in Year Seven.

“I never thought I would be here working at the Port!

“I think we need to learn more of it in school too. It gets hammered into our kids that they need to save the planet, but what about where all of the coal comes from that makes things we use every single day? Kids need to be taught both sides.”

Daniel can’t speak highly enough about the industry, and the role it plays in his everyday life.

“One thing I miss about South Africa is all of my family that are there, but I feel like my coal chain family is my family.”

Daniel’s story isn’t unusual, it’s a story that we hear from so many people living in coal mining communities right across Australia. Reach out if you want to share your story or join the coal community and help forge Australia’s future at www.coalaustralia.com