Booming coking coal prices leads the way to jobs
Australia’s metallurgical coal production remained broadly unchanged in 2016-17, at 190 million tonnes, but in 2017-18, production has been forecast to increase by 3.0 per cent to 196 million tonnes in response to strong import demand from China.
With the price of coking coal going from strength to strength, Central Queensland’s established coking coal mines were looking at increasing their production, and new coking coal mines were scrambling to come online.
With the construction and potential expansion plans for these coking coal mines, the Central Queensland region was set for an employment windfall with the Byerwen project set to employ about 550 people once operational.
The Central Queensland Coal Project is expected to employ up to 200 construction employees and up to 500 operational employees and, when completed, Eagle Downs also promises to create 500 jobs.
