New South Wales’ Hunter Valley continues to deliver, with $9.4 billion in direct mining spending injected into the region’s economy during the last financial year.

This is an increase of around $600 million on the previous year, and is the highest result ever reported, according to the New South Wales (NSW) Minerals Council’s latest annual member expenditure survey.

“Mining operations in the Hunter have broken local spending records for the second year in a row,” NSW Minerals Council chief executive officer (CEO) Stephen Galilee said.

“This is while supporting a near record number of local mining jobs, highlighting the importance of mining for local communities and the region’s economy.”

The survey recorded that participating mining companies supported over 16,000 jobs in the Hunter region, and while there is a slight decrease from the previous year, the council said it is near record levels and is almost 5000 more jobs than the first survey noted a decade ago.

The $9.4 billion included almost $2.3 billion on wages and salaries, and over $7 billion for goods and services purchased from almost 3410 mining supplier businesses across the Hunter region.

The council noted that since the survey was first conducted, mining’s direct spending in the Hunter has more than doubled from $4.6 billion to the current figure.

Likewise, this $9.4 billion in direct spending is also estimated to have contributed to 26 per cent of the region’s gross regional product (GRP) during the last financial year.

“The ongoing strength of the mining industry continues to provide a solid foundation for the Hunter economy, and with the right policy settings, this can continue for many years to come,” Galilee said.

Read more: Mining hits record-breaking contribution in New South Wales

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