“New preliminary industry figures compiled by company Coal Services put the number of full-time coal production jobs in NSW now at about 19,800, down from a peak of about 24,400 in April 2012,” the Newcastle Herald reported.

“In the Hunter, there were about 10,800 jobs, as of December. The state total was last below the 20,000 level in December 2010, with investment in the sector waning as the coal price has fallen.”

Australian Bureau of Statistics data placed the Hunter Valley’s unemployment rate at 6.5% in December – a fall from the 9.3% in the previous month but much higher than the 3.8% it scored in December 2012.

Ahead of a presentation to the Sydney Mining Club yesterday, NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee said there were 20,000 jobs caught up in the planning system, with millions of dollars in investment hanging in the balance.

Galilee was chief of staff for NSW Premier Mike Baird when he was Treasurer. Late last year the Baird government promised to slash assessment times for mine proposals if it was re-elected in 2015.