The Queensland coal sector is facing a fresh wave of job losses, with Anglo American Australia confirming on Thursday that more than 200 positions will go, just a day after BHP announced 750 redundancies and the suspension of a coking coal operation.

Anglo American Australia said a review in light of “ongoing market pressures” had resulted in more than 200 staff being impacted, mostly at its Brisbane office, but also across Central Queensland operations. The company noted that some of the reductions were achieved through voluntary redundancies, including at its Grosvenor underground mine, which had been closed since a fire in mid-2024.

VP for people and corporate relations Ben Mansour said the miner had “worked to protect the jobs of our Grosvenor workforce for more than a year” by redeploying roles to other operations. 

"The phased nature of the re-entry work, carried out in close coordination with regulators, means we are now in a position to engage unions and our Grosvenor EA (enterprise agreement) workforce in a voluntary redundancy expression of interest process, which is in its very early stages," he said.

The announcement follows BHP Mitsubishi Alliance’s (BMA's) decision to suspend Saraji South, part of the Saraji complex, from November and to shed 750 jobs. BHP also placed its Future Fit Academy training centre in Mackay under review.

BHP Mitsubishi Alliance asset president Adam Lancey said the “necessary decision” reflected the “combined impact of the Queensland government’s unsustainable coal royalties and market conditions”.

Coal royalties in Queensland were raised in July 2022 to a top tier of 40% for prices above A$300/t, up from a previous maximum of 15% on prices above A$150/t. With coking coal now trading around $190/t, down from more than $600/t during the 2022 supply crunch, producers argue the royalty regime is leaving mines uncompetitive.

Queensland Resources Council (QRC) CEO Janette Hewson said the job losses showed the policy was “costing Queenslanders their livelihoods”.

“We feel for the workers, families and communities impacted by the announcement, particularly those in the regions,” Hewson said. “QRC warned the previous Labor government about the consequences of introducing the world’s highest coal royalty rates. By accepting bad policy, they have cost jobs for Queenslanders.

“The impact of the royalty tax increase, coupled with a drop in coal prices and soaring production costs, is simply making it unviable for many coal producers in Queensland to continue operating.”

Hewson warned Queensland’s international reputation as a reliable investment destination was “at risk” and urged the LNP government to reform the royalty system, offering to work with policymakers on “a framework that protects jobs, promotes investment and delivers benefits to all Queenslanders”.

UNIONS PUSH BACK
Unions, however, have criticised BHP for linking the job cuts to the royalty regime so soon after losing a Federal Court case over equal pay for labour-hire workers.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union QLD & NT Branch described the BMA job cuts as another example of a multinational giant putting profits before people. News organisation iQ Industry Queensland quoted Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union state secretary Rohan Webb as saying that workers were left in the lurch while BHP played politics.

"The truth is this company made windfall gains during the coal price spike and is still highly profitable. To use workers’ livelihoods as leverage in a dispute with government is disgraceful.”

According to iQ Industry Queensland, Mining and Energy Union Queensland president Mitch Hughes also feels that blaming job cut decisions on Queensland’s royalties regime is disingenuous.

“Even with higher royalties, BHP profited immensely from the coal price spike of 2022/23, which saw coking coal spot prices peak at over $900 a tonne,” he reportedly said. Hughes also pointed out that BHP had been pursuing a divestment strategy in Queensland since before the new royalty rates were introduced in 2022.