The board has held several workshops consulting the coal industry over the past months, with the discussion paper encouraging more feedback before the system is incorporated into the state’s legal framework.

Several registered training organisations and occupational associations have been slated to provide the ongoing training for positions requiring certificates of competence, although the system is not yet finalised.

For the certificates of mine electrical engineer and mine mechanical engineer, Engineers Australia with the involvement of the Mining Electrical & Mining Mechanical Engineering Society has been earmarked as the possible CPD training provider.

For deputies, either a refresher course of one or two days or a CPD scheme has been proposed, with Coal Services and Mines Managers Association of Australia favoured as the training providers.

The certificates of manager and undermanager will require a CPD scheme, with Mine Managers Association of Australia preselected as the training provider.

Cost estimates for the managers are $50 to register for the scheme, while attending the activities could cost $380 or more each year.

The training is estimated to take 45 hours over three years.

For engineers, registration with the National Professional Engineers Register costs $198.50 per annum while the cost of the CPD scheme could be more than $283pa.

The training is estimated to take 150 hours over three years, with 50 hours in the specific area of practice, such as electrical or mechanical.

The coal competence board said the cost of refresher training or CPD would rest with the certificate holder.

But the board also said it recognised the important role employers would play in supporting employees to meet their training and CPD requirements.

“Contractors to mine operators will need to consider the costs in their business operations and charges,” the board added.

Non-compliance has been set out in the discussion paper, with the onus on certificate holders to meet the requirements of the new system.

If an employer finds a certificate holder has not met these requirements, action to resolve this is expected to be taken within 12 months.

Further non-compliance can result in the board recommending the Minister for Natural Resources suspend or cancel the certificate of competence.

The board said it was not focused on this sort of action as it believed certificate holders and employers would be motivated to comply because of the need and benefit to their work from CPD.

Standards for the training are still being worked out by the board.

Holders of certificates issued before 1984, and holders of certificates from other states or New Zealand but recognised for use in NSW are not bound to meet the requirements of the new system.

But the board said amendments to state coal laws were proposed to make holders of certificates issued before 1984 meet the new conditions.

In the paper, the board conservatively estimates there are 580 deputies, 165 undermanagers, 225 managers of mining, electrical or mechanical engineering, 36 mine electrical managers and 36 mine mechanical engineers in the state.

The discussion paper and the public comment template documents are available on the board’s page within the Department of Primary Industries’ website.

Both documents contain the contact details for feedback submissions and the closing date is November 6.