by Richard Roberts, Editorial Director, Beacon Events

The May launch of the Hunter Valley Mining Club took about a decade and a half longer than Jodie Currie anticipated but the sold-out Singleton Diggers crowd reminded her of the importance of the mission she launched in Queensland in 2010.

“It was meant to be the Hunter and Bowen Basin at the same time,” says Currie, who started the Bowen Basin Mining Club (BBMC) in Mackay 15 years ago.

“Being born and bred in Mackay we decided to focus on building [the BBMC] where we knew the industry and where my family were working at the time. My granddad was a dragline operator. My brother’s a mechanical fitter and he was working at one of the BHP sites. My parents ran supply businesses for the mining industry.

“I thought we might not end up back in the Hunter. But over the last couple of years we’ve seen the number of networking events focused on coal declining and we’ve got decades of domestic economic prosperity to come from coal and also critical uses for coal around the world.

“So for me it was really about making sure that the Hunter is as loud and proud as the Bowen Basin when it comes to talking about the industry’s economic impact, jobs and community investment.

“The success of the first Hunter networking event showed that people still want be connected and are still really proud to be part of the industry.”

A second sold-out networking event followed in Singleton last month.

The Yancoal and Glencore-owned Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) coal mine was in the spotlight. HVO general manager David Foster talked about the importance of the HVO Continuation Project to the region. “The lasting economic anchor for the Hunter Valley”, was his description of a life-extension proposal for the 76-year-old mine that is currently with the New South Wales Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.

Foster said HVO last year had 1515 full-time equivalent workers, spent A$1.05 billion on goods and services with more than 700 local suppliers, paid $224 million in wages and salaries, and sent $276 million in taxes and royalties to governments. That is the sort of impact he sees through to the mine’s planned closure in 2045. “The world needs coal to assist in the energy transition and will for at least the next 20 years,” Foster said.

Currie says the presentation reinforced the importance of elevating understanding of the rigorous assessment and approvals processes being navigated by coal operators and developers.

“It’s up to all of us to advocate for both their social and political license,” she says.

This echoes the clarion call of the BBMC when it was launched.

“We still host six events a year in the Bowen Basin and we get an average of about 200 people at each event, which is amazing,” says Currie.

“You can go to Brisbane, spend thousands of dollars on conference tickets and flights and accommodation, and listen to a speaker get up and talk about an ASX [Australian Securities Exchange] press release without mentioning the value actually being delivered to regions and regional communities. We wanted to turn that around and get people coming to the regions, staying and networking, and seeing up close what the economic numbers actually mean.

“So from contractors and company executives to small business owners, we’ve built a community of more than 12,000 people that networks, advocates and thrives together.”

The BBMC launched the biennial Queensland Mining Awards in 2014, began publishing an annual industry Yearbook in 2018 and started the BBMC Crib Room Podcast in 2020.

Currie says the awards recognise innovation in a vibrant Australian mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sector.

“There is an increasing need for mining companies and contractors to do things smarter, faster and more efficiently and the METS companies are the ones that can really do that,” she says.

“Investment in technology is very strong in the METS sector and there is a lot of industry investment going into new technology. We’ve got to showcase that.”

Currie says the networking events and industry podcasts canvass vital trends and developments in the industry. While cost, regulatory and coal pricing pressures have been all too regular discussion points in the past couple of years, she remains optimistic about the industry and the mining club’s mission.

“What makes me optimistic probably goes back to the whole coal advocacy piece and seeing the regular attendance at these events. I think there is a stronger collective will in the industry to get together and talk about ways to get better.

“That includes being willing to listen and to share ideas. It was always about competition in the past. I think they’re a lot more collaborative today.

“The industry is needed for the long term, whether it be met coal or thermal coal.

“There is a large number of people who understand that and who are willing to get out there and talk about it.”

Jodie Currie will moderate a keynote panel discussion on operational improvements, optimising costs and delivering sustainable outcomes across mining value chains at IMARC 2025 in Sydney from October 21-23.

For more information, please visit the IMARC Website.

About IMARC: Collaborating on trends in mining, investment and innovation towards a sustainable future

IMARC is the premier gathering for the most influential minds in the mining industry, a dynamic hub where ideas ignite, and inspiration flows – it is the ultimate meeting ground for global industry leaders. As Australia’s largest and most significant mining event, IMARC attracts over 9,000 decision-makers, industry leaders, policymakers, investors, commodity buyers, technical experts, innovators, and educators from more than 120 countries. For three action-packed days, attendees will engage in cutting-edge learning, forge valuable deals, and experience unparalleled networking opportunities.