Gujarat NRE's Australian mine goes onstream
(Mercury News, September 27, 2005)

When an Indian coal boss sent home a photo of this mine, they thought he must be on holiday

Happy snap: Coal chief Arun Jagatramka and his wife Mona at the opening of the Gujarat NRE coal mine at Russell Vale yesterday

SHAREHOLDERS of a major Indian company wondered if the directors were on holiday when shown a photograph of a Wollongong mine they were considering for investment.

Gujarat NRE Australia Chairman Arun Kumar Jagatramka responded by saying the city was so beautiful every day was like a holiday.

"Welcome to the mine with the best view in the world," he said yesterday, producing the photo at the official launch of NRE No1 Colliery at Russell Vale.

Mr Jagatramka told 150 guests that Gujarat NRE Australia had employed almost 100 people at the mine and planned to provide work for another 175 at its other mine at Avondale over the next five years. The company has invested $30 million in the region and plans to invest another $75 million during the next three years.

The subsidiary of India's largest metallurgical coke producer, Gujarat NRE Coke Limited, took over the colliery in December.

Avondale mine will be renamed NRE Avondale and reopened within three years.

Mr Jagatramka said rail transport needed to be addressed before production could begin.

"We are developing it absolutely as a new mine. Our next thing is a rail loop or a siding on top of the escarpment ... so we are not-hauling coal by road," he said.

Gujarat NRE Australia is also looking at other mining opportunities in the region to produce more coal for power generation and steel making in India.

Minister for the Illawarra David Campbell welcomed the 100 jobs the company was creating in producing one million metric tonnes of coal a year.

"There will be flow-ons to engineering workshops and other suppliers," he said.

"It is all export so it is more ships coming to the port. It adds strength to the port and the coal terminal."

"The company will wash the coal in India where it is building a mini steel mill."

Flanked by former premiers Bob Carr and Neville Wran, Mr Campbell revealed how the two men had influenced his career.

He recalled that 25 years ago he was unsuccessful in a job interview at the oldest operating mine in Australia.

But he became a miner for a few minutes yesterday switching on a conveyor belt to bring Indian-bound coal to the surface.

Mine Workers Union vice president Graeme White said all the jobs at the mine had been filled locally.

He said Gujarat NRE had employed a good blend of people who had formerly worked in the industry, some who had returned from Queensland and new people being trained to enter the industry.

"For the mining industry down here it is great news. They have still got some upgrading to do over at the No4 mine shaft area but once they do that this place will be a very viable mine in the future," he said.

Wollongong Lord Mayor Alex Darling, Illawarra Business Chamber president Terry Wetherall and Illawarra Regional Development Board chairman Gary Langton all said it was important to look at India as a place to do business.

''Wollongong City Council will have to look hard and long at India and making contacts with the Indian people," Cr Darling said.

Indian Consul-General M Ganapathy said his country needed coal and other minerals from Australia in large volumes.

Mr Carr said the transformation of the Indian economy was good news for Australia and the Illawarra and he was confident the Wollongong workforce would make the most of the opportunity.