But he ruled out government subsidies for coal mines and said mining workers knew that “things change over time” without elaborating on what those changes might be.
“These mines have got,you know,10,20,30 years to run,” Mr Morrison said of coal mining during a media appearance in McKinlay,a Queensland town east of Mount Isa.
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“And that’s a lot of opportunity for those communities. And,look,I think people who work in these sectors know that things change over time. And they understand that.
“But what's important is that we continue to extract and get the value from the opportunity and wealth that's there that really benefits the rest of this country.”
Asked if he would support the creation of new mines producing thermal coal,which is used for power generation,Mr Morrison said “we’re not subsidising any mines” and said the industry was viable and profitable.
“And so long as they comply with all the environmental standards and all the environmental requirements,well,they should get on with their business,” he said.