Leigh Creek’s final coal train leaves the station in wake of Port Augusta power station’s closure

THOUSANDS of northern regions residents have turned out to witness the sad end to the 60-year era of coal-fired power generation in SA, with the final delivery of coal to the Port Augusta power station.

Community residents turn out to watch the final coal train heading from Leigh Creek to the soon-to-be-closed Port Augusta power station. Picture: Dean Martin

THOUSANDS of northern regions residents have turned out to witness the sad end to the 60-year era of coal-fired power generation at Port Augusta, with the final delivery of coal to the Northern Power Station, which closes next month.

From Leigh Creek to Stirling North, just south of Port Augusta, people of all ages lined the track to wave goodbye to the train that has been a source of comfort for many in the community.

With the spectacular Flinders Ranges as a backdrop the 3km-long locomotive, pulling more than 160 trucks of coal, took more than 12 minutes to pass by the Harris Rd crossing at Stirling North.

Despite a hot northerly wind creating dust storms and making for extremely unpleasant conditions, Kay Reinertsen was determined her grandchildren, Kyle, 11 and Cody, 7, should come out to witness the train going by.

The last coal train from Leigh Creek rolls in to the soon to be closed Port Augusta Power Station @theTiser pic.twitter.com/aG5AQuwp83

— Craig Cook (@craigcook3) April 27, 2016

“I told them they had to come and watch it because it’s history in the making,” she said.

“It’s more than a little sad — I’m finding it very upsetting actually.”

Mrs Reinertsen lives next to the rail tracks on Harris St and, as a rhythm to her life, has watched the coal train pass twice a day for the past 33 years.

“You can set your clock by it. It normally comes in around 9am and leaves about 4pm,” she added.

A nephew will lose his job at the Alinta Energy-owned power station when it closes in less than two weeks.

“I think he’s off to Queensland for a job and that’s true for a lot of the youngsters,” she said.

“My husband who works for the railways gets offers all the time to move but I love it here and I wouldn’t live anywhere else.”

More than a thousand tonnes of coal formed the final contingent which left the Leigh Creek coal mine by train on its six-hour, 250km journey yesterday.

Kyle, 11 and his brother Cody, 7, watch the coal train pass Harris Street, Stirling North, where their grandmother, Kay Reinertsten, has lived for 33 years. Picture: Dean Martin

The coal mine — producing low-grade “dirty coal” — has already closed and the Northern Power Station — commissioned in 1985 and opened in 1991 — will shut down, more than 14 years earlier than originally scheduled, on May 9.

Up to 400 direct jobs will be shed in the towns of Port Augusta and Leigh Creek with thousands more affected by the flow-on effects.

The first power station on the outskirts of the city, Playford A, named after former state premier Tom Playford, was commissioned in 1954.

Port Augusta mayor Sam Johnson said despite the job losses, the community was “on the front foot” and determined to grab new opportunities for job creation.

“It’s very much the end of an era as we’re all used to the noise of this train and even at 2am in the morning it’s been a comforting sound, “ he said.

“But we can’t look back. We’re the first coal power station in the country to close and while the eastern seaboard will still be working with coal we’ll be working hard to position ourselves as the leader of alternative energy.”

Mr Johnson said many of the 164 jobs lost at the power station had already been replaced with the expansion of the Port Augusta prison and the building and opening of the $175 million Sundrop Farms facility, 15km southeast of the city, which is solar powered.

“For those directly affected by a job loss it’s very tough but many employees returned to permanent jobs with the government, some have taken packages and obviously some have had to move on,’’ the mayor said.

The last coal train heads to Port Augusta. Picture: Dean Martin

“There are people in my age bracket (29) who have had to move for jobs interstate but that happens the world over.

“The closure of Alinta has actually provided Sundrop with the opportunity to expand.”

Local MP and opposition spokesman for mineral resources and energy, Dan van Holst Pellekaan, stood with a group of 200 people at the Bowman’s Rd rail crossing in Stirling North to witness the train go by.

“I hear there have been people all the way along the line from Leigh Creek at every crossing,” Mr van Holst Pellekaan said.

“It’s a historic and sad day but the end of an era must mean the start of a new one.

“Some people will do it tough and I don’t shy away from that but we have no choice than to get on and create a transition to the businesses and jobs for this community in the future.”

Alinta Energy chief executive Jeff Dimery recognised the final delivery of coal marked a moving and symbolic event for employees and the local community.

Owned and operated by Pacific National since February 1999, the train has hauled on average three million tonnes of coal from Leigh Creek per annum along the Leigh Creek railway.

“The presence of the coal train has been a familiar sight for many in the local region, and it was important that the final railing of coal be shared with the wider community,” he said.

“I would like to thank Pacific National for their longstanding rail freight partnership with Flinders Operations.”