Whitehaven axes 40 jobs

NSW coal miner Whitehaven is laying off 40 workers as it cuts costs to deal with lower coal prices. Source: AAP

WHITEHAVEN Coal is laying off 40 workers as it cuts costs to deal with lower coal prices and the high Australian dollar.

Whitehaven said 30 permanent mine and maintenance staff and 10 contractors who work at its Rocglen and Tarrawonga mines in north-west NSW will be made redundant.

Managing director Tony Haggarty said cutting staff was a difficult decision to make.

"However as part of the review process it became clear that decisive action needed to be taken in order to ensure our open cut business remained viable in the current low coal price environment," he said in a statement.

The decision was made because of weak coal prices, the unfavourable strength of the Australian dollar and increasing pressure on operating margins.

The company employs more than 600 people, most of whom live in north-west NSW.

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Whitehaven appoints new CEO

COAL miner Whitehaven has named the former head of Nathan Tinkler's private company as its new chief executive.

Paul Flynn will take over at Whitehaven on March 25, replacing the company's Tony Haggarty who had been in the role for more than four years.

Mr Flynn, formerly the managing director of Tinkler Group Holdings, joined Whitehaven as a non-executive director when Mr Tinkler's Aston Resources merged with Whitehaven in May 2012.

He previously was with Ernst and Young, where he worked with resources companies including Xstrata, Worley Parsons and Peabody Energy.

"Obviously, Paul is extremely well known to the rest of the board and this appointment is one that makes compelling sense on a number of levels," Whitehaven chairman Mark Vaile said today.

Mr Haggarty indicated at the time of the Aston merger that he would remain in the top role.

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