While New South Wales lacks the vast mining operations of states such as Queensland, the state’s mines contribute A$1.8bn in annual royalties and employ over 24,000 people. Yet as mining operations grow, so too does controversy, with a proposed coal mine threatening 3.3 billion litres of water. We profile the state’s mining operations, and consider the future of the sector.

Also in this issue, we take a look at the future of uranium mining in Australia in light of rising demand and falling inventory, and learn about the partnership between Australia and the US encouraging rare earth minerals production.

We also examine Newcrest's A$685m expansion to its Cadia gold mine, map the ports critical to Australia’s mining economy, and explore the Australian Resources and Energy Group's report on Australia's mining workforce want list.

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Callum Tyndall, editor