The Gillard government's planned minerals tax compromise is expected to deliver an extra $7.4 billion from the nation's coal sector. The profit is estimated to come in its first five years, according to new research from analysts Wood Mackenzie. The planned minerals resource rent tax will also wipe about $12bn in net present value from the industry, according to the report.

An Indian company is planning massive investments in Australia's coal industry. The move mirrors the vertical integration pioneered by Japanese interests in the 1980s. Adani Group's actions in the past fortnight suggest it wants a reliable supply of coal from Australia and to shift it as cheaply as possible to power industrial development in India. The company has been short-listed by the Queensland government as possible builders and operators of a new coal port in central Queensland at Point Dudgeon, just north of the existing port of Dalrymple Bay.

The revised mining tax will cause a long-term fall in investment in new iron ore and coal projects, but will not derail business spending. Access Economics says that although the new tax is much improved from the original resource super-profits tax, it will still make investment in Australia less competitive than in Canada, Indonesia or Brazil. The economic consultancy's latest review of the economy says investment in resources and construction will lead to growth over the next year, boosting Western Australia and Queensland.

The significance of the Coalition promising to axe the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute becomes clearer when viewed with a wider lens - one that takes in its decision after the May budget to cut money from a host of other climate-change programs. Among them was the carbon capture and storage flagships program - a fund dedicated to developing ''clean coal'' demonstration plants. It was stripped of $200 million.

An industry group that provides workplace safety services to New South Wales miners is set to take its message to United States officials. Coal Services Pty Ltd will begin a two week trip to North America to meet with mining industry representatives, the body has said. A statement from Coal Services said a meeting at the Australian Embassy will focus on health and safety issues where Australia is a leader...

It's been a long time since Australia jumped off the sheep's back and hitched a ride on a dump truck full of ore, but it's likely the mining and resources industries will play a bigger than ever role in this year's Federal election. The protracted brawl over the resource super profits tax raised public awareness of the industry and became a political headache for Labor.

Australia’s new mining tax proposal of a 30% resource rent tax for iron-ore and coal, rather than a 40% super profits tax (SPT) on all resources, would attract investors to expansion and merger and acquisition (M&A) opportunities, advisory firm Deloitte said on Tuesday. Mining lead tax partner Gordon Thring said that while there was still a lot of detail to be worked out, the new proposal would likely remove the uncertainty for investment decisions and exploration.

Australia’s trade surplus widened in May as exports of coal and gold climbed on demand from Asia, outpacing a gain in imports. Australia’s trade surplus is being fueled by a surge in prices for iron ore and coal shipped by companies including BHP Billiton Ltd. Signs of a rebound in mining investment may gather pace in coming months after resource companies agreed with Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s government on the introduction of a new industry tax last week.