COAL MINES AND MINING – QUEENSLAND

More BHP coal mines sitting on rocky ground

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 15 : 21-Apr-26

BHP is believed to have commenced a review of its coking coal mines in Queensland, which are owned by its BMA joint venture with Japan-based Mitsubishi. The future of the coal mines has been under scrutiny since the state’s former Labor government introduced a controversial coal royalty scheme in 2022. The spot price of premium hard coking coal is trading above $300 per tonne, so BHP is currently paying the top royalty rate of 40 per cent. There are fears of more job losses at BMA after 750 workers were retrenched in September 2025, a move that was partially attributed to the royalty regime.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, BM ALLIANCE COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD, MITSUBISHI CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Queensland private coal miner joins state’s royalties graveyard

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 13 & 14 : 25-Feb-26

Privately-owned coal miner Vitrinite has been placed in the hands of voluntary administrators from Cor Cordis and receivers from KordaMentha. Vitrinite’s assets include the Vulcan coking coal mine in Queensland’s Bowen Basin. A spokesperson for KordaMentha says it will shortly begin the process of selling or recapitalising Vitrinite’s assets. Vitrinite’s collapse has put further scrutiny on the Queensland government’s controversial coal royalty regime, which it inherited from the former Labor government and has refused to change.

CORPORATES
VITRINITE PTY LTD, COR CORDIS PTY LTD, KORDA MENTHA AND COLLEAGUES PTY LTD

BHP Christmas work order penalty

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 7 : 12-Nov-25

The Federal Court has ordered BHP’s Operation Services labour firm to compensate 85 miners who were directed to work at the Daunia coal mine in Queensland on Christmas Day and Boxing Day in 2019. Operation Services will be required to pay a total of $83,700 in compensation, plus a penalty of $15,000. The Mining and Energy Union’s Queensland president Mitch Hughes says the workers had been directed to work on the public holidays with no consultation or agreement. The workers will be each be paid between $800 and $2,400 each. BHP sold the Daunia mine to Whitehaven Coal in 2024.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, OPERATION SERVICES, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC

Despite $22bn promise, Adani has paid zero corporate tax in Australia and experts think it won’t ever pay a cent

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Original article by Jonathan Barrett
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 29-Jul-25

Adani Mining posted a loss of $461.7m in the year to 31 March, despite having revenue of $1.27bn. It operates the Carmichael coal mine in Queensland, and is part of the India-based Adani conglomerate. Large annual payments to related parties is a key reason why Adani Mining has yet to make a profit, more than three years afer production at the Carmichael mine began. Jason Ward from the Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability & Research says the level of related-party transactions at Adani Mining is "pretty unprecedented"; he believes that the company has been structured in a way that ensures it will never make a profit or have to pay tax.

CORPORATES
ADANI MINING PTY LTD, CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL CORPORATE TAX ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESEARCH

BHP pay ruling leaves very wide grey zone

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 9-Jul-25

The Minerals Council of Australia has responded to the ‘same job, same pay’ ruling with regard to employees of BHP’s Operation Services division. The MCA says the the mining industry’s "worst fears" about the federal government’s industrial relations laws have been confirmed; it has also warned that there will continue to be "grey areas" regarding the application of the ‘same job, same pay’ laws. The Fair Work Commission’s former vice-president Graeme Watson says the wording of the legislation deliberately sets a low bar, and many more applications aimed at equalising rates of pay across worksites can be expected in response to this ruling.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, OPERATION SERVICES, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

BHP corruption probe tipped to expand as contractors axed

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 24-Jan-25

A whistleblower has claimed that there is widespread corruption among contractors working for BHP’s Queensland coal mining operations, and that they had raised their concerns with the Australian ­Securities & Investments Commission and police. BHP has so far axed dozens of contractors who were hired for work at its Saraji mine, with it being suggested these sackings are just the tip of the iceberg. The whistleblower has indicated that the corruption has been going on for a number of years, and that tens of millions of dollars were involved.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

Anglo deal shores up its BHP defences

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 27-Nov-24

Anglo American’s deal to sell its coking coal mines in Queensland will boost its balance sheet ahead of the looming expiry of the embargo on a new takeover bid from BHP. Peabody Energy will pay $US3.8bn ($5.8bn) for the coal assets, well above market expectations that the mines would fetch around $US2.8bn. RBC Capital analyst Marina Calero says the deal will also increase shareholders’ confidence that Anglo American will be able to carry out its restructuring plan. BHP will be free to make a fresh bid for Anglo American from late November, under the UK’s takeover laws.

CORPORATES
ANGLO AMERICAN PLC, PEABODY ENERGY CORPORATION, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

Peabody picks up Anglo coal assets for $5.8bn as BHP circles

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Original article by Bridget Carter
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 26-Nov-24

Anglo American has agreed to sell its five metallurgical coal mines in Queensland to US-based Peabody Energy for up to $US3.8bn ($5.8bn). The deal includes a contingent cash consideration of $US450m that is linked to the reopening of the Grosvenor mine, where production was halted by an underground fire in June. Stanmore Resources and Yancoal Australia also submitted bids for Anglo’s coal assets. The sale of the Queensland mines is part of Anglo’s strategy to focus on its copper, iron ore and crop nutrient operations. Meanwhile, BHP will be free to make a new bid for Anglo later this week, when a six-month embargo under the UK’s takeover laws expires.

CORPORATES
ANGLO AMERICAN PLC, PEABODY ENERGY CORPORATION, STANMORE RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX SMR, YANCOAL AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX YAL, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

Miners win same pay for same job

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 2-Jul-24

The Fair Work Commission has ruled that labour hire workers at Batchfire Resources’ Callide coal mine in Queensland are entitled to the same pay as directly-employed workers who are covered by an enterprise agreement. Mitch Hughes from the Mining & Energy Union contends that WorkPac employees at the mine are currently paid between $10,000 and $20,000 less than direct employees. The FWC’s ruling is the first to be made via the federal government’s ‘same job, same pay’ industrial relations reforms. Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke says the ruling means that the "labour hire loophole is officially closed".

CORPORATES
BATCHFIRE RESOURCES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, MINING AND ENERGY UNION, WORKPAC PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS

Union launches BHP same pay challenge

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 13-Jun-24

The Mining & Energy Union has filed 10 applications in the Fair Work Commission to increase the wages of BHP’s labour hire workers under the federal government’s ‘same job, same pay’ laws. The initial applications cover about 1,700 workers at three of BHP’s coal mines in Queensland’s Bowen Basin who are employed by WorkPac, Chandler McLeod and BHP’s own Operations Services subsidiary. The union is pushing for these workers to receive pay rises of between $10,000 and $40,000 in order to achieve pay parity with BHP’s direct employees. The MEU is expected to make further applications against BHP.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, MINING AND ENERGY UNION, WORKPAC PTY LTD, CHANDLER MACLEOD GROUP LIMITED