https://newsletter.mw.creamermedia.com

QCoal starts consultation on Cook Colliery unit closure

19th September 2025

By: Mariaan Webb

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

     

Font size: - +

Independent Queensland coal miner QCoal has begun consultation with workers at the Cook Colliery, near Blackwater in the Bowen basin, after flagging the potential closure of one of the mine’s two underground units.

The colliery, operated by contractor Core Crew on behalf of QCoal, employs about 170 people. Core Crew confirmed on Friday that consultation with the workforce would take place over the next two weeks, with redundancies and changes to existing positions under consideration.

“Unfortunately Cook Colliery has been affected by high production costs, high taxes and royalties and low coal prices and its ongoing operation at its current levels is unsustainable,” a company spokesperson said.

The mine has contributed about A$25-million in royalties to the Queensland government since it reopened in March 2022, but has yet to deliver a profit. QCoal acquired the asset in 2020 and restarted production two years later.

The consultation at Cook comes during a difficult week for Queensland’s coal sector, with both BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) and Anglo American announcing large-scale workforce reductions.

BMA will shed 750 jobs as it suspends its Saraji South operations in November, while Anglo said more than 200 staff would be impacted across its Brisbane office and Central Queensland operations as part of a review prompted by “ongoing market pressures”.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

Comments

Research Reports

Showroom

Immersive Technologies
Immersive Technologies

Immersive Technologies is the world's largest, proven and tested supplier of simulator training solutions to the global resources industry.

VISIT SHOWROOM 
SoToxaTM - Mobile test system
Alco-Safe

Developed to exceed the latest EN 15964 standards for police breathalysers proving that it will remain accurate and reliable for many years to come.

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Resources Watch
Resources Watch
17th September 2025

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.087 0.165s - 142pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now