Coal news and updates

Russell Vale mine to close following safety concerns

Mine owner Wollongong Resources intends to honour employee entitlements and other financial commitments.

In an email to employees seen by the ABC, owner Wollongong Resources said the decision was made to close the mine due to “ongoing regulatory risk”.

Russell Vale has experienced underground fires in recent times, prompting the New South Wales Resources Regulator to place a prohibition order stopping work at the site on January 18.

It is expected that the closure will also include Wollongong Resources’ Wongawilli Colliery, which came out of care and maintenance in 2022.

In the email to staff, Wollongong thanked its employees for their work and said it intended to honour financial commitments, including employee entitlements.

All told, the closures are set to affect approximately 145 employees.

Russell Vale is one of the oldest operating coal mines in the country, with its origins dating back to 1887. Mining at the Wongawilli Colliery commenced in 1912.

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