Coal keeps Cooyal’s heart beating

Blink and you might miss Cooyal – it’s the kind of place that doesn’t ask for much attention. But it gets it in spades from its neighbouring coal mining community. 

For David Miller, owner of the Cooyal Hotel, the relationship between his pub and the nearby mines isn’t just good for business – it’s the backbone of the community.

David says the mines support the pub and the community, creating a wide range of benefits for locals.

Wilpinjong crews often make their way to the Cooyal Hotel after a shift, settling in for a meal and a casual catch up in a place that feels like home.

Most weeks the team at the pub prepares and delivers burgers out to the Wilpinjong mine site – a mutually beneficial arrangement that keeps the workers happy and the pub enjoying reliable, regular business.

Away from the pub, David sits on the Cooyal Hall committee – a volunteer role that keeps the social infrastructure of the village ticking. The hall, like so much in small communities like this, has benefited from grants provided by the mines.

Ask David where he stands on coal and mining, and he doesn’t hesitate. He’s pro-coal. Pro mines.

He’s watched what the industry means for the people around him — the jobs, the spending, the grants to the hall.

“It’s not just about money,” he says. “It’s about what the mine does for the community — and that’s all positive.”

David says the pub is so close to the mine that on a still evening you can sometimes hear the low hum of operations drifting across the valley, a sound that, for locals, doesn’t signal intrusion. It signals work, security and prosperity.

Wilpinjong Environment and Community manager Kieren Bennetts said the mine employed local people who supported local businesses.

“Our people live in Mudgee, Gulgong, Rylstone, Kandos and the smaller communities within our region. We provide career opportunities close to home for people, and it allows them to spend their wages supporting businesses all over our region, including places like Cooyal Pub,” Mr Bennetts said.

“We have a positive impact locally because our people are local.”