Anita White is uneasy. The Singleton-based chief executive who has called the energy rich Hunter Valley home for almost three decades is well-prepared for Liddell Power Station – the state’s third largest – to close at the end of the month.
The two stations together supply about one-third of the state’s energy supply and have been a backbone of employment and industry in the region for more than five decades. Mr Ward is confident he can fill the gap in his contract book left behind by Liddell as rampant demand for Hunter coal offshore fuels activity and employment at local mines including Glencore’s Ravensworth and Centennial Coal’s Ashton Mine and others.But a falling coal price is a concern. Newcastle coal futures have“We can find that 10 per cent elsewhere, but the problem comes when the coal price drops and the other work just dries up,” says Ward.
Of the remaining 180 staff working at Liddell, about two-thirds have transferred to similar roles at Bayswater. Another 50 employees have chosen to retire, while around a dozen have chosen to leave the industry completely.