The new council will consist of five members selected by the Government and five selected by the coal industry, who will be responsible for administering the $100 million NSW Coal Fund.
The NSW coal industry already has the $1 billion COAL21 Fund, established in 2006 from a voluntary levy on coal production, which has committed around $50 million to clean coal projects.
The Australian Coal Association and NSW Minerals Council said cooperation between the Government and industry was necessary to combat climate change.
“The additional funds from the NSW Clean Coal Council and the collaboration between industry and Government in NSW will allow us to build upon the excellent progress which has been made in NSW to date," said NSW Minerals Council chief executive Dr Nikki Williams.
“The coal industry is worth $8.5 billion a year in NSW alone and its value is growing. Low emission technologies will allow us to reduce our carbon footprint while maintaining cost-efficient energy supplies in Australia and worldwide."
