At least 750 jobs will go at one of BHP’s Queensland coal mining operations as the major company blames high royalties and weak coal prices for the losses.

The mining giant’s Saraji South mine, located about three and a half hours inland from Rockhampton, will be mothballed as the company also considers shutting down its training academy in Mackay.

Workers were informed about the jobs cuts on Wednesday after BHP’s CEO Mike Henry flagged the cuts last month at the company’s annual general meeting.

“Due to the changes that were made to the (Queensland government’s coal) royalty regime a few years ago, the benefit of any upswing in coal prices has been seriously eroded,” Mr Henry said at the time.

“Depending on how coal prices play out there, that could see us needing to move to ... take

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