The advertising trucks feature messaging highlighting Australia's decade-long failure to compensate American investors following the 2014 expropriation of NuCoal's mining license by New South Wales Parliament. One billboard reads "Australia Paid the Chinese Communist Party But Stiffed American Investors," while another appeals directly to President Trump: "President Trump, Please Save Us."
The campaign follows U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer raising the issue in the 2025 National Trade Estimate Report. The case also represents the first formal consultation request – an official diplomatic complaint mechanism – under the Australia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement since its 2005 implementation.
NuCoal chairman Gordon Galt said: "As Prime Minister Albanese seeks favorable trade negotiations with the Trump administration, the mobile billboards serve as a highly visible reminder of Australia's unfulfilled treaty obligations to American investors under the AUSFTA investment protection provisions."
American investor Noreen Harrington said: "Investors simply want fair compensation for an investment that was expropriated through no fault of our own – the same treatment Australia gave Chinese investors when it paid them hundreds of millions in compensation." She continued: "President Trump is looking for concrete wins that demonstrate respect for American interests. This issue is easily solvable and doing so would send a powerful signal to the Trump administration that Australia is committed to a fair trade and investment relationship for both countries."
About NuCoal
In 2014, New South Wales Parliament cancelled NuCoal Resources Ltd's Doyles Creek mining license through rapid-fire legislation. The cancellation followed questions raised by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption regarding the original granting of the license by previous owners before NuCoal's purchase.
The Commission explicitly acknowledged NuCoal's complete innocence and the innocence of all NuCoal investors in any wrongdoing, yet the company and its shareholders, including approximately 700,000 Americans through pension funds, have never received compensation despite the license being valued at AU$300-523 million.
While American as well as Australian investors remain uncompensated, the NSW government paid Chinese state-owned mining company Shenhua AU$362 million in 2017 and 2021 for similar license cancellations.
The campaign will continue throughout the UN General Assembly week.
Contacts
Gordon Galt - [email protected] (Australia)
Noreen Harrington - [email protected] (US)
Authorized by Gordon Galt, Sydney, NSW on behalf of NuCoal Investors
SOURCE NuCoal Investors
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