NSW Parliament has passed laws creating a new authority to give workers and communities in the state’s coal-producing regions a say in their future.
The Future Jobs and Investment Authority was established by the Future Jobs and Investment Bill 2025, which passed on Wednesday, 21 October. It will support coal-producing regions including the Hunter, the Central West, and the North West.
The work is backed by $29.7 million of ongoing funding for the Authority and more than $170 million under the new Future Jobs and Investment Fund.
“Today our Minns Labor Government has delivered on an important election commitment,” said Minister for Natural Resources Courtney Houssos.
“The Future Jobs and Investment Authority will empower workers, communities and industry to create opportunities across mining, manufacturing, rail, energy and infrastructure.”
The Authority will have the power to attract investment to support new industries, skills development, and job creation. It can also facilitate post-mining land use for productive purposes, report on mine closures to keep communities informed, and provide workforce support.
It will lead community engagement through Local Divisions, one in each region. They will include representatives of workers, industry, local government, and the community. The Chair of each Local Division will sit on the Board of the Authority, alongside representatives from unions and industry.
The Hunter and Central West Local Divisions will be the first to be established.
“The Hunter has never been a region that waits for opportunity to arrive. We build it, mine it, grow it and power it, and this week, we have legislated to protect just that,” said Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley.
“The Future Jobs and Investment Authority will give Hunter families a direct voice in shaping their own future and ensure the next generation has certainty and can continue to access high-quality jobs across the Hunter for generations to come.”
The Government has also moved to secure 400 jobs at the Mount Pleasant coal mine in the Hunter. It will introduce legislation in the next sitting fortnight to protect the jobs at MACH Energy’s mine, after a High Court judgment on 7 October created legal uncertainty.
As part of the move, MACH Energy has agreed to a Jobs Guarantee to maintain its current permanent workforce until 2032. The provisions giving the mine statutory consent will not take effect until MACH Energy has signed the guarantee.
“At a time when families are doing it tough, the last thing they need is the uncertainty of losing their livelihood just before Christmas,” said Premier Chris Minns.
“For 400 workers at Mount Pleasant, that’s the uncertainty they’ve been facing, and we’re not prepared to stand by and let that happen.”
The legislation also introduces new requirements for coal mine operators, to give workers the time and certainty they need to access new employment, retraining, or retirement. Operators will have to give notice of mine closure in specified timeframes. They will also need plans outlining how workers will be supported when mining stops.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully pointed to work already under way.
“The Minns Labor Government has already started this work with major post-mining land transformations plans at Macquarie Coal Complex and Mt Arthur Mine which could unlock more than 7000 jobs in the future,” Mr Scully said.
“The passing of this crucial legislation begins a new partnership between government and our coal-producing regions,” Ms Houssos said.
“It means the regions that have powered NSW for generations get the support they need to attract new industries and support job creation in the long term.”
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