The Hunter’s two largest coal regions — Muswellbrook and Lake Macquarie — are now the focus of a federal and state-backed effort to turn mine land into new sources of jobs and investment.
The Albanese Government has finalised a $5 million funding agreement, through the Net Zero Economy Authority and with in-kind support from the NSW Government, to deliver detailed master plans for BHP’s Mt Arthur site and Glencore’s Macquarie Coal site near West Wallsend.
Minister for Industry and Innovation Tim Ayres, who announced the funding in Muswellbrook last week, said the work would help keep industry active on existing mining land once operations wind down. “This funding is about more than planning – it’s about delivering a future for the Hunter that works for people, business, and the environment,” he said.
“Repurposing these sites will unlock new opportunities and ensure the region remains a powerhouse for generations to come.”
Ayres told 2HD Newcastle the Mt Arthur mine’s closure in 2030 marked a clear moment to prepare for what comes next. “That facility has fantastic fabrication and maintenance workshops,” he said. “It’s on the corner of the Golden Highway and the New England Highway, right on the railway line. I would like to see that facility keep going beyond the life of the mine and provide good blue-collar jobs for Muswellbrook and the surrounding communities.”
While mine rehabilitation will remain the responsibility of the operators, the minister said attention must also turn to retaining the valuable industrial assets that have supported the region for decades. “Mines have a beginning and an end,” he said. “They’ve got an obligation to recover the environment – that’s what locals would expect – but I just want to make sure the industrial facilities are secured for the future too.”
Muswellbrook Shire Council Mayor Jeffrey Drayton said the funding offered certainty for a community facing large-scale industrial change. “This funding gives certainty to plan properly, take action on the record industrial closure Muswellbrook is facing, and make sure our community isn’t left waiting for action that should’ve happened years ago,” he said.
“The Mt Arthur pilot project is a priority for Muswellbrook and we’ll waste no time putting this welcome Federal support into planning that future.”
At Lake Macquarie, Mayor Adam Shultz said the West Wallsend site’s redevelopment could shape how other mine lands are reused. “A master plan outlining the future reuse of the former Glencore West Wallsend coal mine won’t just help guide its future – it will provide a blueprint for how this can be applied to mine sites coming to the end of their lives right across NSW and Australia.”
The Net Zero Economy Authority’s CEO, David Shankey, said the project would model how regional mine closures can be turned into economic renewal through careful planning and collaboration between government, industry and local councils.
Ayres said the goal was to make sure the Hunter remains a hub for manufacturing and industrial jobs long after coal production winds down. “This is a downpayment on delivering that,” he said. “It’s about making sure investment is ready to flow the moment those mines close.”
