487 million tons

of coal were mined in Australia in the 2008/2009 financial year, roughly 100 times as much as in NZ. Of that, about 261 million tons were exported, making Australia the biggest exporter of coal in the world.

Quite a few of the Bowen Basin coal mines in central Queensland are bigger than the entire NZ coal mining industry: they really are huge mines.

4.6 million tons

of coal were mined in NZ last year.

Let's hope for some good news from Pike River in the next day or two.