Muswellbrook Shire Council is calling for an immediate halt to activities regarding the Hunter Workforce Transition Advisory Group (WTAG) and the Regional Workforce Transition Plan and Transition Fund until appropriate governance has been developed and agreed to by impacted Councils.
The WTAG was established by the Federal Government to support workers and communities through the region’s economic transition to a net-zero economy as it navigates the scheduled closure of its largest coal operations.
The closure of BHP Mt Arthur in 2030 alone will result in the direct loss of approximately 2,400 local jobs.
The Hunter Joint Organisation – a collaborative body of 10 Hunter region councils – wrote to Federal Employment and Workplace Relations Minister, Amanda Rishworth, on 5 January, outlining its serious concerns regarding the consultation framework for the Regional Workforce Transition Plan and Transition Fund. It says the first engagement with impacted Councils did not occur until 29 May, well after key decisions had already been made.
“Council is not a stakeholder in this transition; we are leading it on behalf of our community,” said Mayor, Jeff Drayton.
“This seems to be at odds with how the Federal Government is dealing with the significant impact these changes will have on our community. The lack of engagement with us is a disgrace.
“Our workforce critically needs support. The Federal Government has access to the resources and funds that could make a real difference for our community, but they can’t even tell us what those projects are.
“We have written to Minister Tim Ayers and Minister Amanda Rishworth with specific and significant concerns regarding the operation and composition of the Hunter Workforce Transition Advisory Group, and the disrespect Councils have been shown through this process.”
The primary concerns of Muswellbrook Shire Council are:
- The deliberate exclusion of local government from the design and implementation of the Regional Workforce Transition Plan and Transition Fund ;
- The composition, role, and authority of the Hunter Workforce Transition Advisory Group ;
- The lack of transparency and governance surrounding funding allocation and project delivery ;
- The absence of a jointly agreed governance model to guide engagement and decision-making.
Council is also concerned that despite assurances of genuine co-design, the composition of the Hunter Workforce Transition Advisory Group was personally determined by the Minister, excluding directly impacted Councils.
“This raises serious questions about whether the needs of our communities are being properly represented,” the Muswellbrook Mayor said.
“Furthermore, it was revealed that the Department has already commenced a procurement process to deliver ideas developed by the Advisory Group, yet the details of these initiatives could not be disclosed to Council. Alarmingly, it is our understanding that even some members of the Advisory Group were not aware that these ideas had proceeded to market. ”
The Council wants all levels of government to have a genuine, structured partnership – one that ensures Federal resources and funding are directed collaboratively towards initiatives that deliver measurable outcomes for our workers, businesses, and our communities.
“The mines have plans in place and are responsible for supporting their workforce as they move towards closure. It is the supply chain businesses and their workers who will be most impacted by this change, and they are the ones left unsupported through this process,” the Council said in a statement.
“Many workers have spent their entire careers in mining, and the socioeconomic consequences of this shift will be profound and long-lasting. Muswellbrook Shire Council is at the forefront of these changes, yet at nearly every opportunity Council’s attempt to engage constructively with Federal Government have been stonewalled and ignored.”
