Minerals & petroleum - NSW Coal
Coal has been mined in NSW for over 200 years. The industry has grown from a few operations using convict labour and hand-winning techniques into the modern, highly productive industry that in 2006-07 contributed approximately $6.2 billion in export earnings to the NSW economy.
The NSW and Queensland coal industries have developed to an extent where the output from both states has made Australia the largest exporter of coal in the world.
Increased productivity, together with continuing improvements in infrastructure and mining technologies and systems, will ensure that NSW is well placed to maintain its share of export and domestic coal markets in the future.