The New South Wales Government is introducing legislation to protect up to 400 jobs at MACH Energy’s Mount Pleasant Coal Mine in the Hunter region.
Under the Mount Pleasant Mine Bill 2026, the mine will be able to continue working in line with its current production and workforce profile, producing up to 16.5 million tonnes (Mt) until 2032, or until a new consent is granted.
The bill also requires MACH Energy to enter into a jobs guarantee agreement to secure the jobs of all permanent workers at the mine. This includes those who are at immediate risk.
The planning consent granted under the bill is conditional on the jobs guarantee being signed.
Under the jobs guarantee, MACH Energy will be required to report quarterly on permanent workforce levels. Reductions made without ministerial approval will attract significant fines.
The bill also imposes new scope three emissions consent conditions, including limiting coal exports to countries with emissions reduction policies aligned with the Paris Agreement. These conditions mirror those recently applied to the Hunter Valley operations mine.
Delivering certainty
This news comes after a High Court ruling invalidated the mine’s expansion approval due to downstream climate considerations.
MACH Energy sought permission to extend the life of the open-cut mine by more than 20 years to 2048.
Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley says families across the region have worked in coal mines for generations.
“They don’t need uncertainty handing over their heads at Christmas — they need to know their jobs are safe, and this bill delivers that,” Catley says.
Minister for Natural Resources Courtney Houssos says that while MACH Energy works through the court process, the government aims to ensure the mine’s workers keep their jobs.
“Our NSW Coal Industry 2026-50 framework provides certainty to workers so they can plan their future, and to coal-producing communities so they can look to the future with optimism,” Houssos says.
Coal mining directly employs around 25,000 people across New South Wales. This includes around 15,000 in the Hunter alone.
Last year, the region’s 19 coal mines added $16.4 billion to the state’s economic output. They also generated more than $1 billion in royalties, helping fund schools, hospitals, and roads working families rely on.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Main image: MACH Energy
