For 36 years Ashley Cook has taken pride in his job as a dragline operator at a coal mine in central Queensland.
He is part of a multigenerational mining family, with more than 60 years of work between him and his father at the Callide Mine near Biloela.
"It's put food on the table, a roof over our heads and we've got our kids to go to school — it's given us a good stepping stone for our future," he said.
"Having a good, permanent job means a lot to us.
"It's always provided jobs for local people to live in the town, their kids go to school here, they might buy a small business, so [the mine] keeps the town prosperous."
On Wednesday Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk unveiled a 10-year clean energy plan stipulating that the state will have "no regular reliance" on coal for energy production from 2035.
It included a deal brokered with unions for an energy workers' charter ensuring state-owned power station staff will be retrained or redeployed to other public sector jobs when the stations progressively become "clean energy hubs" from 2027.
It also specified that workers at mines that supply coal to those stations will be offered training or financial assistance to relocate, if they choose, if the mine does not have access to other markets.
Mr Cook said he was worried about the survival of regional communities like Biloela if jobs were taken from the mine and not replaced locally.
"I'd like to see a bit more conversation with people in the towns so they've got a bit of an idea and know what's around the corner," he said.
The Callide Mine, which services the Callide coal-fired power station, has been operating since 1944 and supports 1,250 families in the region.
The open-cut mine delivers about 11 million tonnes of thermal coal annually for power generation, alumina refining and export to Asia.
It is also the Callide Valley's single largest employer.
'This is massive shift'
Mining and Energy Union Queensland president Stephen Smyth said while the job-guarantee charter was a "really good move", it needed more information to address members' concerns.
He said workers from places such as the Callide Mine were not guaranteed replacement jobs in Biloela because the charter only promised new training or financial compensation for workers to move.
"The plan should be looking at what else can be done in those communities to ensure the same good, secure, well-paying jobs because it lacks a bit of detail," he said.
"It says there will be jobs, but what are those jobs?
"This is a massive shift.
"We're all up for the conversation … but there's got to be a lot more thought put into this process."
Mr Smyth said he was surprised by the idea that the state would not regularly rely on coal for power generation by 2035.
"I spoke to a number of people in the community … they're a little bit bewildered," he said.
Mr Smyth, a signatory to the charter, said there was no "one for one" when it came to jobs for coal mine workers in the renewables sector.
A Queensland government spokesperson said the charter provided support and confidence for workers and was backed by the $150m job security fund.
"Most coal mines in Queensland export," they said.
"Only two mines solely supply government coal-fired power stations and are unaffected for a decade or more."
The spokesperson added that there were several issues that would need further consideration.
They said the charter sets up the energy industry council to support workers and their communities through those issues.
The spokesperson said an additional 100,000 jobs would be created via the plan and that there would be an additional $200m invested in the regional economic futures fund to support communities where coal plants were located.
'It'll be a slow thing'
CQ University regional economic development professor John Rolfe said the coal industry was likely to continue operating well beyond 2035 because most coal produced in the state was metallurgical and used for steelmaking.
He said most thermal coal for power generation was exported.
"The demand for thermal coal will decrease nationally first and then, more slowly, internationally," Dr Rolfe said.
"Towns like Biloela have probably got a slightly longer time frame to adjust — it'll be a slow thing for the world to wean itself off thermal coal altogether.
"There will be some challenges for towns and particular regions over time and the longer the time frame, the more transformation.
"I don't think it'll be a sudden death, and I think at the same time there'll be opportunities."
Dr Rolfe predicted that the benefits of renewable energy would outweigh the short-term negatives in the fullness of time.
Mr Cook, who is also a country singer, said he would like to see more understanding about the industry in general.
"A lot of people that have nothing to do with the mines probably aren't real sure what happens," he said.
"There's a lot involved."
