The mining giant BHP has abandoned plans to keep mining coal at Mt Arthur in New South Wales until 2045 and will close the mine down in 2030 after failing to sell it.
Environmentalists and shareholder activists welcomed the decision to close the mine in the Hunter Valley rather than sell it on to another operator. But they said BHP should close the mine in 2026, when its current permit expires, rather than extending its life for another four years.
