Greiner to lead development of Hunter coal export system

<p>Former New South Wales premier Nick Greiner would lead the development of a new system for coal companies’ access to the port of Newcastle’s industry-owned coal export terminal, ports minister Joe Tripodi said today (Friday, January 4). </p> <p>Mr Greiner will work with the Hunter Valley’s coal industry, including chief executives of the Hunter’s 16 coal mining companies and members of the Hunter Valley Coal Chain Logistics team, to create a new allocation model. </p> <p>Mr Tripodi said Mr Greiner’s appointment followed requests from industry for help to create a new allocation model for access to the coal loader. </p> <p>&#8220The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has extended the current allocation model for coal loading, giving the industry adequate time to carefully consider how to optimise exports from Newcastle to the benefit of all,&#8221 he said.</p> <p>&#8220Nick Greiner brings his experience in Government and as a company director to this initiative he will help to balance the interests of individual coal companies and the public.&#8221 </p> <p>Around 95m tonnes of coal are forecast to leave the port in 2008. </p> <p>Last year, the NSW Government approved the expansion of the Port Waratah Coal Services coal terminal and the construction of a new coal terminal by industry consortium Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group. </p> <p>Plans to increase rail capacity are also in development. </p> <p>&#8220The new allocation model will allow the coal industry to develop a system for managing coal export allocations while this new infrastructure is brought online,&#8221 Mr Tripodi said.</p> <p>The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has welcomed the appointment.</p> <p>&#8220If Mr Greiner brings transparency and fairness to the logistic determinations of the coal chain, and his public and private sector experience shows he can, then he will assist in breaking log jams and extracting greater efficiencies all through the Hunter Valley, from mine head to bulk carrier,&#8221 ARTC chief executive David Marchant said.</p> <br />