THE HUNTER Valley Coal Chain Logistics Team says the Newcastle coal ship queue situation is worsening with the coal mining industry unable to cope with the sudden surge in demand.
The group says that exports have been cut by "stockpile constraints and coal availability issues". This has meant that customers are sending ships to Newcastle before the coal is even out of the ground.
In July 2009, the ship queue topped 50 this month for the first time in two years, before dropping back slightly.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is yet to approve a new export quota system for the port.
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