The Industry

Coal is mined in all Australian States.

In the Eastern States coal is dominant amongst the export industries. One hundred and ninety four million tonnes were exported in 2000-01, worth nearly $11 billion. Australia's high-quality, low sulphur coals attract overseas buyers who are conscious of the need to minimise environmental impacts.

Queensland is the major producer of coal with an output at 138 million tonnes, 117 million tonnes of which go to export.

In NSW the major mining activity is black coal. The upper Hunter Valley supplies 80 per cent of New South Wales's coal. Production in 2000-01 was 110 million tonnes with over 75 million tonnes being exported. A feature of the NSW mining industry is its downstream minerals processing. Coal meets up with iron ore at Port Kembla where it becomes iron and steel at one of the largest metal producing facilities in the country. NSW's coal also supplies the electricity for one of the nation's largest aluminium smelters at Tomago in the Hunter Valley.

Victoria's major mineral assets are its reserves of brown coal. The total brown coal economic demonstrated resource is the state's Latrobe Valley is estimated to be 380,000 million tonnes. Power supplies from the Latrobe Valley and Anglesea deposits play a major part in the national mineral industry picture.


Industry Facts & Figures

Black coal is Australia’s largest commodity export with a value around $A13.5 billion in 2001 – 2002. It represented 25 percent of Australia’s mineral and energy exports ($A54.7 billion) and just over 11 percent of total Australian merchandise exports ($A121.2 billion). As the world’s largest coal exporter Australia supplies markets in more than 35 countries around the world.

Coal mining is the next largest segment, accounting for around 22 per cent of industry turnover and 26 per cent of industry employment.

Labour productivity in the Coal Industry in Australia has almost doubled in the past 10 years – 3.5 to 6.9 tonnes at all mines.

In December 2001 there were 19,762 people employed at Australian black coal mines – an increase of 6 per cent on the number employed in December 2000. The rise reflects the 16% rise at open cut mines and 6% fall at underground mines. Approx 190 establishments

The Coal Mining Sector incorporates steaming coal, coking coal, lignite, coal bed methane, oil shale etc and includes the following activities:

The Coal Training Package

The Coal Training Package MNC04 has been developed as a result of extensive industry consultation and validation. This Training Package has been revised to address the needs of all aspects of the brown and black coal industry, including underground coal mining, open cut/surface coal mining and coal preparation and treatment. The industry has embraced the principles of determining endorsed components of Training Packages and support resources and recognises the benefit Training Package implementation has in meeting regulatory requirements.