Recent evidence presented during the Hunter Valley Operations mine extension hearings reinforces why the Hunter’s Mayors are calling on the NSW Government to urgently establish the Future Jobs and Investment Authority and put the right policies in place to support the region’s economic transformation.
As global energy markets evolve, the Hunter needs a planned, coordinated approach to protect jobs, support communities and diversify our economy.
Our region’s communities deserve confidence that appropriate planning is undertaken well before mines reach the end of their operational life. Robust mine closure and post-mining land use planning should be a standard requirement, helping communities attract new investment, diversify local economies and create future employment opportunities.
That’s why we’re calling on the NSW Government to:
- Urgently establish the Future Jobs and Investment Authority to coordinate long-term economic transformation across coal-producing regions.
- Reinvest a fair share of the more than $3 billion in annual mining royalties into mining communities to support economic diversification, workforce transition and enabling infrastructure.
- Strengthen policy and regulatory requirements to ensure mine closure, post-mining land use and economic transition planning are completed, implemented and enforced well before mining ceases.
Our communities deserve the certainty, investment and long-term planning needed to build the industries and jobs of the future.
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