(NSW Government)
Newy 87.8 FM – The Future Jobs and Investment Bill 2025 has passed NSW Parliament, establishing the Future Jobs and Investment Authority to cover the state's four coal-producing regions — the Hunter, the Illawarra, the Central West and the North West.
The Hunter and Central West Local Divisions will be established first, with the NSW Government to make announcements about appointments in due course.
The Authority will be backed by $29.7 million in ongoing funding, alongside more than $170 million under the new Future Jobs and Investment Fund, with additional contributions each year.
Its powers include attracting investment, facilitating post-mining land use, establishing four Local Divisions, reporting on mine closures and providing workforce support. Coal mine operators will face new obligations, including giving notice of mine closures within specified timeframes and preparing plans outlining how workers will be supported when operations cease.
Around 25,000 people in NSW work directly in coal mining, including more than 1,500 at Hunter Valley Operations, which last month received approval to extend operations into the 2040s.
The passage of the legislation comes as post-mining rezonings were finalised at BHP's Mt Arthur Coal Mine at Muswellbrook, where mining is due to end in 2030, and the Macquarie Coal Complex at Teralba and West Wallsend — together unlocking more than 7,000 potential jobs. The Macquarie precinct is the preferred site for the state-owned train-building facility.
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