Singleton Shire Healthy Environment Group requested opportunity to provide input to the study when it was first announced as part of a realm of changes in mining.

“We wrote then saying we wanted to have input to ensure the strategy considered all our concerns but we have never had that opportunity,” said group member Carol Russell.

Of major concern is the lack of time spent considering water, which Mrs Russell said was one of the major concerns for the Hunter Valley.

In fact there is no mention of anyone involved in water on the stakeholder reference group.

Instead this reference group will consist of: Mining-Related Councils; Total Environment Centre; NSW Minerals Council; Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association; NSW Farmers Association; Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union; and the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.

Many, including the Hunter Environment Lobby, also took offence at the comment the strategy was the result of emerging community concern.

Lobby spokesperson Jan Davis said these concerns had been held by groups across the Hunter for decades.

The scoping paper is on public exhibition until Friday, April 15 and can be viewed on the Planning Department’s website.

The scoping paper will be discussed at a public meeting in Gunnedah on Thursday and Singleton is one of two places at which a public forum will be held on the topic. That forum is on March 9.