The owners of Eraring Power Station (Eraring), Origin Energy, announced that Eraring will close on 30 April 2029. The CEO of the Net Zero Economy Authority, David Shankey, has made an application to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to establish the Energy Industry Jobs Plan (EIJP) to help workers impacted by the closure.
Eraring process
Status: Fair Work Commission application under consideration
Latest news
Eraring application seeks further support for Hunter workers
The CEO of the Net Zero Economy Authority has applied to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to establish the Energy Industry Jobs Plan (EIJP) to support workers impacted by the closure of Eraring Power Station.
Eraring consultation submissions published
The Authority has published written submissions from the EIJP public consultation process for Eraring.
Eraring Power Station – update on additional Energy Industry Jobs Plan consultations
Following Origin Energy’s decision to extend the scheduled closure date for Eraring Power Station to April 2029, the Net Zero Economy Authority (NZEA) is holding a short round of additional consultation.
Eraring Power Station closure
Eraring is located on the lands of the Awabakal people in the Lake Macquarie region of New South Wales. It is a 2922 MW coal-fired electricity generator and Australia’s largest power station.
The closure will impact workers including:
- Origin employees at Eraring Power Station
- Centennial Coal employees at Myuna Colliery, which supplies Eraring with 100 per cent of its coal
- employees across multiple supply chain businesses.
The EIJP is designed to ensure that employers provide their employees with support to prepare for, and transition into, a new job.
Support for workers under the Energy Industry Jobs Plan
With Eraring scheduled to close in 2029, the CEO of the NZEA has been considering whether or not to apply to the Fair Work Commission to establish the EIJP.
The EIJP is a regulatory framework designed to make sure workers can access support from their employer to prepare for and transition into new roles.
The EIJP can apply to:
- power stations.
- coal mines that supply power stations
- businesses that provide goods or services to the power station or coal mine.
Supports under the EIJP may include:
- financial advice
- career advice
- access to training
- access to flexible work arrangements or paid time off to access these services.
Timeline
Consultation and assessment
The NZEA, on behalf of the CEO, has completed the consultation and assessment process, required under legislation. This process supports the CEO in deciding whether to apply to the Fair Work Commission to establish the EIJP for the Eraring closure and determine which employers should be included. This assessment is known as a Community of Interest (COI) process.
- May 2025 – Community of Interest consultation and assessment commenced: See initial consultation details.
- May to 18 July 2025 – Public submissions process: See published submissions from stakeholders.
- February to 12 March 2026 – Short additional consultation following Eraring’s extension: See additional consultation details.
FWC Application
On 26 March 2026, the CEO of the NZEA applied to the FWC for a determination. This determination would establish the EIJP for Eraring and require any employers named in the determination to provide supports to their impacted employees.
Further information about the application is available on the FWC’s website.
The FWC will now independently assess the application. Workers, unions, employers named in the application and employer organisations will have the opportunity to be heard by the FWC.
If the FWC makes a determination, any employers named in that determination will be required by law to provide support to their employees.
After a determination, unions and employers can negotiate through the FWC to agree specific supports that would meet an employer’s obligations under the EIJP.
Learn more about the FWC’s role.