A CLASH of industries took place last week in Denman at public hearings held by the NSW Planning and Assessment Commission (PAC) into the Drayton South Coal Project located 10kilometres north west of Jerrys Plains.
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On one side was Anglo American Coal Pty Ltd owners of the Drayton open cut coal mine who wish to extend the life of their current operation beyond its 2017 approval date.
On the other side were the owners of neighbouring thoroughbred studs, farms and vineyards who are totally opposed to the mine’s expansion arguing its approval will ultimately lead to the closure of their industries.
Their diametrically opposed views were heard by PAC, headed by chairman Gabrielle Kibble, who will make a recommendation to the government on the future of the project.
PAC has been advised by the NSW Minister for Planning Brad Hazzard to consider the impact of the proposal on Coolmore and Darley thoroughbred studs and to investigate if any measures could be taken to minimise any impacts on the two studs.
Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association president Cameron Collins told PAC that their prime agricultural industry was fundamentally incompatible with mining.
“We cannot co-exist in such close proximity to a coalmine,” Dr Collins said.
In Coolmore’s submission to the November 2012 Environmental Assessment report on the project the stud’s chief financial officer Niall Ronan said the mine’s expansion was grossly unacceptable in relation to visual intrusion, groundwater and surface water impacts, noise and vibration and air quality.
“It is not appropriate for an open cut coal mine to be approved immediately adjacent to an existing highly profitable and sensitive thoroughbred horse breeding operation,” Mr Ronan wrote.
Mr Ronan also went on to compare the current proposal with that of the Bickham open cut coal mine north of Scone.
“PAC refused the Bickham mine in May 2010 saying in its report that open cut coal mining and a viable international thoroughbred breeding enterprise are probably incompatible land uses,” Mr Ronan stated.
At the PAC hearing the stud chairman Ken Barry said at present the closest open-cut mine to the stud’s farm was 7km away. The Drayton South mine would be only 1.5km away.
Anglo American argues the mine can operate successfully with its neighbours citing the fact they have removed a projected 53million tonnes of coal from the project to limit the impact of the mine.
The mine is expected to extract 119 tonnes of coal at a rate of 7m/tonnes each year over its life by extending the operations of an already existing mine.
According to the EA for the Drayton South project it will use the same workforce and same infrastructure as the Drayton mine.
Drayton Mine has operated since 1983 and has 530 full time employees but its approval expires in 2017 and unless the mine is given the go ahead for the Drayton South project it will cease operations.
The company expects the mine to produce an annual direct and indirect regional output or business turnover of $588million.
