Council unanimously supported Ms Clark’s recommendation to refuse the development but this is just the first step and those against the proposal are revving up their protest to ensure accommodation of this type never happens in Singleton.

Ultimately it is the Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) who will determine the application to build a $101million temporary accommodation village with potential to house 1501 miners at Glenridding. 

 A JRPP hearing into the development will be held at Singleton on October 10.

Better Future for Singleton Shire Association chairperson Rebecca Williams urged everyone who had made a submission to council to consider addressing the JRPP to ensure their message was heard.

BFFSSA is planning a rally to coincide with the JRPP hearing.

Mrs Williams was delighted at the council report, telling council on Monday during public access that it was comprehensive and definitive.

Ms Clark’s report stated: the development application is prohibited on rural 1a land; is not consistent with objectives of rural zone; is prohibited under the new local environment plan; will have an adverse impact on the landscape as will the proposed landscaping; there is no suitable evacuation route in case of flood; does not meet aims of the State Environmental Policy; is not consistent with rural planning principals; the site is not suitable; it does not comply with the Singleton Development Control Plan; and inadequate information was supplied by the developer. 

Mrs Williams reminded council of the case in Moranbah.

“One of the most startling facts to come out of Moranbah is that over the past 20 years, since their first camp was developed, the number of beds in camps surrounding their town has doubled every five years,” Mrs Williams said.

“Their first camp was for 1,596 beds.  Twenty years later they have 12,000 beds, plus another 2,800 under construction and another 9,000 awaiting approval.

“If these are all approved they will have gone from 1,600 beds to 24,000 beds within 20 years.”

Mrs Williams said these types of developments need regulation and that neither council nor the state government had any planning tool to manage temporary worker accommodation facilities.

She requested council consider creating a planning tool such as s development control plan that would give clearer guidelines for council staff, developers and the community so that temporary worker facilities could be better managed in the Singleton local government area.

She also urged councillors to consider writing their own submission to the JRPP.

In a media statement issued this week a spokesperson for The Mac said” “We’ve been liaising and consulting with council for the last two and a half years, so we’re disappointed that at the end of that process, and having undertaken extensive analysis and assessment of the impacts of the development as required, Council has now recommended against the project.

 “We have ten villages across Australia that already demonstrate that we deliver positive benefits and job opportunities for communities and that we are committed to ensuring community benefit. 

“We’ll continue seek to work with Council and the community to demonstrate this.”

Mrs Williams said strong attendance at their rally on October 10 was paramount to giving a clear message to the JRPP that Singleton did not want this development to go ahead.

“This is about Singleton’s future, its about five years and 20 years time,” Mrs Williams said.

She added that the group was hoping individual councillors would also write submissions on the proposal to add to the strength of council’s argument against the proposal.

“I have been amazed at the diverse opposition to this proposal, we have had business people, farmers, neighbours to the development, even miners who have said it’s not a good idea, this isn’t a minority group of a few people, our group represents a great proportion of the town,” Mrs Williams said.

Moranbah and Coppabella

Moranbah has a population of 8900 and Coppabella 600

Between the two towns from 1993-2003 they had 1,596 beds developed for  temporary workers.

Between 2003-2008 they had 3,426 developed 

Between 2008-2013 7,219 

They now have 12,241 beds in the two towns 

Another 2,864 beds are under construction with development applications lodged  for a further 9,080 beds awaiting approval.