As the Shenhua Watermark debate rages, Whitehaven Coal has been cementing its position in Gunnedah with a visit to the building which will become its local office.
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Whitehaven Coal chief executive officer Paul Flynn said today the Whitehaven board was in Gunnedah for a meeting, and used the occasion for a “meet and greet” with Gunnedah Shire Council representatives.
Board and council representatives met at the site of Whitehaven Coal’s new office, the old Crazy Clark’s building in Conadilly Street.
“It’s good timing,” Mr Flynn said.
“The development application has just gone through council and this will be about a six-month project.”
He said Whitehaven believed it was important to have a “bricks and mortar presence” in Gunnedah and would consolidate staff from across roles including planning, environmental and technical services to have about 30 people based in the office.
“We will have a physical presence where people can interact with us,” Mr Flynn said.
“People will know where to find us and where to apply for a job or ask a question. We will be more easily accessible to the community.”
While mining in Gunnedah has come under the national spotlight following the federal government Watermark approval, Mr Flynn said he believed Whitehaven had a “different footprint” to the Shenhua project.
“And as an extension of that, we see our relationship with the community,” he said.
“We have spent $200 million over the last 12 months on over 600 different businesses in the region from Tamworth to Narrabri.
“That is over $200 million excluding wages.
“Wages are worth about $100 million on an annual basis across the operations. And 75 per cent of our employment is not fly in-fly out.
“We employ local people and those people are taken from all walks of life.”
The Gunnedah office is expected to open early in 2016.