Local mine closures compared to Newcastle Steelworks shutdown

Muswellbrook Mayor Jeff Drayton has compared the pending closure of two local coal mines to the shutting down of BHP Steelworks in Newcastle.

Councillor Drayton predicts the equivalent of 12,000 jobs will be lost to the town when Mount Arthur and Mangoola cease operating in 2030.

He said this will have a dramatic impact on the town.

The mayor wants the State and Federal Government to allocate funding and resources to help Muswellbrook create replacement jobs for these workers.