Questions are being asked over the State Government’s proposed new transition authority to help Upper Hunter communities move away from coal.
Resources Minister Courtney Houssos held a carefully staged managed media event for only hand picked journalists at Mount Arthur yesterday to spruik the new body.
The authority will replace the Royalties for Rejuvenation and Expert Panels scheme set up by the previous government.
But the Hunter Jobs Alliance said it’s concerned the money will not become available until 2028 or when the fund reached $250 million.
The Alliance said the level of funding does not match the size of our coal industry.
“The Hunter is a $65 billion economy and the scope of the challenge ahead is immense. Even if the entire $25 million per annum was allocated to the Hunter it is considered well short of requirements,” Hunter Jobs Alliance coordinator Justin Page said.
