Miner rails against Stanmore’s closure of Mavis mine, praises PIMS Group

After the sudden closure of a Bowen Basin mine, affected workers have called the decision to seal it ‘brutal’. How serious are the efforts to redeploy them?

The Mavis Underground Coal mine will be officially sealed in September, leaving over 130 miners looking for wor. Image: MetRes

It was a normal Wednesday afternoon when the workers of a Bowen Basin mine were told by their managers they were being shut down.

The Mavis Underground mine, part of the Millenium Mavis Downs Coal Mining complex which had been reopened in the latter half of 2021, was a joint venture between resources companies Stanmore and MetRes with the operation of the mine contracted out to the Mackay based underground mining service PIMS Group (PIMS).

MetRes was absorbed by Stanmore early in 2024 and on June 26 Stanmore made the decision to seal the mine.

A Mavis miner, speaking under the condition of anonymity, said the PIMS manager in charge was emotional as he spoke to his crew.

“This was his project from day one,” the miner said.

“It was sad to see actually, PIMS can’t do enough for us.”

Simon Knobloch PIMS Operations Manager manages the PIMS Group Operations across Queensland and New South Wales. Photo: PIMS Group

According to them, the closure blindsided almost everyone involved at the mine due in part to the operations recent success.

“Our last two months had been record months and our last two weeks had been record weeks,” he said.

“It was deflating that they just come out and say it’s shut”.

The contract for the Mavis Millennium project was supposed to last at least five years, with another five to 10 once Stanmore opened up the Millenium Underground development project, which PIMS were also set to operate on Stanmore’s behalf.

Now the future of that project is up in the air as Stanmore, who are moving the entire Millenium complex to minimum expenditure care and maintenance regime, said its development will be subject to their capital allocation and prioritisation strategy.

“It’s going to be sad in 12 months if they do go into that (other) pit,” the miner said.

“Especially if they hand it off to another contractor.”

He went on to praise the efforts of PIMS Group to move miners to other operations, but describes the mood at the site as “defeatist” as 93 miners and more than 40 support staff search within PIMS for work or begin the application process with other companies.

An ignition event at the Anglo American Grosvenor mine leaves the future of the mine uncertain. Picture: Supplied

“There’s not a lot out there for underground miners with what's happened at Grosvenor,” he said

“I’ve worked in the mines since 1982 and you see this again and again.

“The wheel turns, people are laid off.”

The miner said that while they could understand the economic realities of Stanmore’s situation, there was a general sense that Stanmore regarded PIMS Group and its workers as an inconvenience.

Stanmore CEO and Director Marcelo Matos. Photo: contributed

“It would have been nice if somebody from the board of Stanmore had the decency to front our workers and tell us the reasons for it instead of the management.”

A Stanmore spokesperson has said that the mine is being sealed in a safe and efficient manner, and possible to reopen in the future if it becomes economic.

The Mavis employee said that once the seals are in place the coal will be harder to reach as the underground tunnel fills with water and gas over time.

“This was brutal it is just bang, gone,” he said.

A Stanmore spokesperson has said that while they intend to facilitate discussions between PIMS and its workforce, Stanmore would not and could not make any commitments on workers being redeployed.