NEW South Wales planning department officials appear to be acting as agents for a coalmining company to close Wallaby Scrub Road, near Singleton, according to the Bulga Milbrodale Progress Association.
But departmental spokesman Paul Searle told The Argus yesterday that department officials completely rejected the allegation.
Progress association president Stewart Mitchell told The Argus that association members had grave concerns about planning department officials speaking with Singleton Council’s assistant general manager Gary Thomson and planning director Mark Ihlein about a proposed $600million expansion of Warkworth open-cut coalmine.
In June last year, councillors unanimously rejected the expansion, saying they wanted to protect Wallaby Scrub Road and nearby Warkworth Sands Woodlands.
Mr Ihlein tabled a late report last month to Singleton Council recommending he make a confidential verbal briefing to councillors about the expansion.
The press and public should not hear what he had to say as “it would, if disclosed, confer a commercial advantage on a person with whom the council is conducting (or proposes to conduct business)”, Mr Ihlein’s report said.
Councillors Alison Howlett and Paul Nichols led opposition to Mr Ihlein’s recommendation, saying the road should not be sacrificed for open-cut mining and discussions on its future should be in public.
The briefing was rejected in favour of a written report which was set to be discussed by councillors at their regular meeting next Monday night.
Mr Mitchell said progress association members believed it was outside the charter of planning department officials to act as coalmining company agents.
When rejecting the allegation, Mr Searle said the department was “undertaking an independent, merit-based assessment of the Warkworth extension project”.
Mr Mitchell said: “The planning department should make a decision on the extension of Warkworth mine based on information provided in the mining company’s 2000 page environmental assessment and concerns within the 110 objector submissions.
“Adding to our concerns is the secrecy under which this matter is being handled and the mention of commercial advantage.
Mr Searle said departmental officers attended two meetings with Singleton Council staff on August 31 to discuss the council’s objection to the project and attempt to address the concerns.
The officers maintained their independence at all times, Mr Searle said.
During the assessment process, departmental officers have also spent a day speaking with the progress association to ensure it had an opportunity to outline its objections, he said.
Once the department’s assessment was completed it would be made public and referred to the final decision-making authority, the Planning Assessment Commission, Mr Searle said.
Wallaby Scrub Road was surveyed in the 1820s by the Australian colony’s surveyor general Sir Thomas Mitchell.
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