Clock ticking’ for 1300 miners, as jobs hang in balance

Rio Tinto is warning that ‘time is ticking’ on its plans to continue mining at its Mount Thorley Warkworth mine in the Hunter Valley.

It is another warning to the NSW Government about the seriousness of the situation in the Hunter Valley where thousands of jobs in mining and the supply chain have been lost and another 1300 jobs at this mine are at risk if the project is not approved \’expeditiously\’.

Addressing the Australian British Chamber of Commerce in Sydney, Rio Tinto’s Chief Executive, Energy, Harry Kenyon-Slaney, said that its has been a very challenging process to have the mine’s extension approved.

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\’We have been in a process now for just over five years, trying to extend the life of Mount Thorley Warworth. We thought we had achieved that a while ago, but that decision was overturned by The Land and Environment Court and we are now back into having submitted another application into extending the life of that mine,\’ he said.

\’It is a big and important mine in the Hunter Valley employing 1300 people and a significant number of contractors and makes a significant contribution not only to the NSW economy but also to the local Singleton region.

We’ve submitted our application and we are hopeful that will be considered expeditiously and we’re encouraging the NSW Government to consider it because the time is ticking on Mount Thorley Warkworth. We’ve got a brief extension that has kept the operation alive but we really do need to see these issues resolved.   

Mr Kenyon-Slaney said Rio Tinto still sees a \’bright future\’ for thermal coal in the years ahead, given the need for large-scale, reliable and affordable energy as 

demand for energy continues to grow along with 

industrialising economies in Asia and Africa. 

​\’​Collectively we must understand that the world needs big increases in energy generation to support the economic and social development of huge sections of humanity – and to maintain our own standards of living.

​\’​Without it the world’s political, social and economic stability will evaporate with consequences that don’t bear contemplation.

​\’​We have to acknowledge that the ‘​iron laws of arithmetic’​​, in former Prime Minister Howard’s immortal phrase, dictate that coal will remain a mainstay of that energy supply. And we simply have to make that equation square with greatly reduced CO2 emissions.

He said it was \’hard to overstate the futility\’ of the stance of those who insisted all exports of coal cease.