The team from Wilpinjong set up camp at the Mudgee Small Farm Field Days recently, sharing
details of the planned modification and extension, and chatting to people about the contribution
mining makes to the region.
Staff who hosted the stall were encouraged by the amount of support from people in the
community who stopped in to learn about the project – many expressing the view that coal
mining was vital to the future of the region.
While at the stall many people entered the guessing competition where they had to guess the
weight of a wheelbarrow-load of coal. Some picked pieces up to get a feel for the weight, other
engineering-types turned to their calculators to make more informed guesses! In the end the
calculators were out-performed by pure guesswork from Chris Day and Chai Cando who were
closest to the correct weight of 93.7kg.
Many others who stopped by wanted to know how they could work at Wilpinjong. The mine
currently employs around 570 people, and supports around 200 contractors.
General manger Mark Eaglesham said he really enjoyed catching up with people at the field
days, many who were visiting from outside of Mudgee, but who understood the importance of
mining to the region.
“Mining is the most significant employer in the region, we pour billions of dollars into the local
and state economies every year, and we enhance infrastructure growth and community
prosperity,” Mark said.
“Most people who visited us at the field days seemed to understand the importance of our
contribution to the local economy and lifestyle.
“We are really proud to support the wine and tourism sectors. There aren’t too many mining
regions in Australia where staff can live in a place renowned for vineyards and attracting tourists
from all over the country.
“I believe we play a crucial role in supporting the character and economy of Mudgee, and we
want to continue to do that well into the future.”
Visitors to the stall learned that Wilpinjong Mine is planning to modify and extend its operations
to support the Mudgee region community until the late 2030s. Details of the project are as
follows:
Stage 1:
- Extend a current mining pit but not change the intensity of mining
- Total coal production will not change
- Mining will continue through to December 2033
- Rehabilitation will continue into 2034.
- The modified mine plan protects the Cumbo Creek corridor and the Rocky Hill cultural
- heritage complex
Stage 2
- Extend the current mining area by approximately 670ha
- Extend the life of the mine to the late 2030s.
The process to have a mine like this extended is detailed and requires a high level of technical
analysis and reporting to Government authorities. The team at Wilpinjong have been working on
plans for the expansion for years and are currently still working through the process of
assessments, consultation and submitting applications.
Part of the approvals process will involve public consultation where members of the public will
have their say about the project and its importance to the community.
If you are interested in supporting the project throughout this process to help ensure the region
has a mining future and continues to provide jobs for our 570-strong workforce, please scan the
QR code and add your name to our Supporter’s Register. We will provide you with updates
about the process and let you know about opportunities to have your say about the future of
mining in the region.
Every single supporter will bring us one step closer to securing the future of Wilpinjong mine
and the economic prosperity of our region.
Jobs at Wilpinjong are advertised on the Peabody website
https://jobs.peabodyenergy.com/go/Mudgee/9008600/ or on SEEK.
