Third Coal Terminal Opens At Newcastle

Terminal Opens to Protests from Unions and Environmentalists

A third coal export terminal has opened in Newcastle, New South Wales, at a cost over $A1 billion.

Owner Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG) says the expansion is needed because of continued strong export demand and the step will keep a workforce of 800 busy for another two to three years.

NCIG won the right to construct the third terminal three years ago. The new terminal – stage one - will take shift as much as 30 million tonnes a year. NCIG will now turn to plans for stage two which will take capacity to 66 million tonnes a year.

"Stage two will double the capability of stage one, adding more than $600 million a year to state revenue through royalties and attract extra investment of more than $1 billion to New South Wales," NCIG chairman Tony Galligan said in a statement.
However, the new terminal has incurred the wrath of trade unions and environmentalists.

About 100 members of the Maritime Union of Australia gathered outside the terminal this morning angry that workers at the new terminal are paid 17 per cent less than those at nearby terminals.

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon said the project would lock the region into what she described as “coal dependency".

"The New South Wales government should be working with the people of the Hunter on a transition plan involving restructuring of industry and retraining programs for workers in clean energy delivery and manufacturing," she said in a statement.
"This coal terminal will drive the opening up of coal mining in the Upper Hunter, Gloucester and Liverpool Plains.

"The resulting increase in coal exports is a setback for dealing with climate change."

Meanwhile, environmental protesters painted "quit coal" in large white letters on the side of a bulk carrier bound for Japan.