Community consultation, what a joke. At the Singleton meeting before the election we were told that coal mining WILL expand, Coal Seam Gas exploration WILL continue. The Hunter is already ruined it is too late to go back to the start now.

We doubt that coal demand will increase over the next years. Australia's largest coal customers, China, Japan, India are switching their industries to consume safer, cleaner energy sources, to reduce their carbon emission, per Kyoto Agreement. That will require them to import less coal. Over valued Australian dollar is making Australian coal very expensive, forcing importers to switch to South Africa, Indonesia, Colombia. Unfortunately, our economy has been too dependent on coal mining companies, as the government couldn't diversify sources of revenue such as high-tech industry, manufacturing. Our population remained as low skilled labor just enough to be hired as coal miner; couldn't earn new skills which would give them the opportunity to look for better jobs, to upgrade their living standards. Our parents were coal miners as we are, our children will be coal miners. Before the demand for coal and other fossil fuel slows further around the world, our economy should transform itself to other avenues than coal mining, such as LNG, tourism, manufacturing. To prepare our children for the future, we should educate them better to earn higher skills, to be employed in other industries.

There are only 2 reasons why the Hunter is ruined is the whingers against coal and gas mining and that the Hunter does not retain the revenue from the coal and gas mined locally.