The country’s most valuable economic export is expected to earn more than A$100 billion per year for the next half-decade.

Teck Coal fined over charges relating to 2012 discharges of selenium and calcite to a mine settling pond and to the Fording River from its Fording River and Greenhills steelmaking coal operations at Elk Valley.

India has set in motion the biggest ever auction of coal mines in the country.

Thermal coal prices could go higher still as China’s worst sandstorm in a decade tightens supply.

The Hunter Valley rail network serves mines run by BHP Group , Glencore Plc, New Hope Corp, Whitehaven Coal and Yancoal Australia.

Heavy rains and the worst floods in 50 years have shut the world’s largest coal-export harbour.