Minister for Finance and Natural Resources Courtney Houssos toured the Mt Arthur Coal Mine on Monday, and on Tuesday met with Chairs of the Royalties for Rejuvenation Expert Panels to discuss future opportunities for coal-mining regions.
Minister Houssos said the NSW Government will deliver its election commitment to establish authorities that will support local communities as they diversify to new and emerging industries.
“I’ve seen first-hand the scale of the operation at Mt Arthur and understand how important these local jobs are for the region,” Minister Houssos said.
Minister Houssos continued: “As the mine’s closure date nears it will be crucial to find ways to partner with the mine’s workers, use existing infrastructure and skills and achieve a balance of social, environmental and economic outcomes for the site’s next chapter. This is going to take a sustained effort from Government and industry.”
The Minister met with the Expert Panels on Tuesday. They discussed the challenges for local communities, and opportunities to create new jobs, drive new investment and activate opportunities for future workers.
“There are great opportunities in NSW. The NSW Government is listening and committed to collaborating with local communities, industry and workers to develop bespoke plans for these regions,” Minister Houssos said.
“The NSW Government will use the convening power of government to find innovative solutions which harness the opportunities in renewable energy and drive future investment in the regions.”
The NSW Government will work with the Federal Government to coordinate with the recently announced Net Zero Authority.
“By working with communities to find localised solutions, NSW will be able to support regional communities and economies to access new employment, skills and harness the opportunities that are presented by the industries of the future,” Ms Houssos said.
