The decision by NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes to announce his draft changes to the Mining SEPP while the Planning and Assesment Commission is preparing its final review of the Mount Thorley Warkworth expansion plans may have shocked the mining community but it was a courageous and welcome decision.
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For our community it is vital that the decision to approve or reject the expansion plans is based on a fair and balanced planning system.
If the mining industry did not like Mr Stokes’s announcement then now they know how many in the community felt when former Resources and Energy Minister Chris Hartcher brought in the Mining SEPP amendment known as clause 12AA in November 2013.
That was wrong in our in opinion and soon we hope that wrong will be righted and not before time.
We must always observe the precautionary principle when it comes to planning decisions on this scale to do otherwise leaves future generations with untold environmental, economic and social problems.
It has been a good week for what we like to call people power.
Congratulations to the people who fought for more than a decade to prevent Broke from turning into a gasfield.
Well done. You approached your task with honesty and integrity and based your opposition on sound economic and scientific information.
Not in anyones wildest dreams would we as a community want to see that area with its vibrant wine and tourism industries turned into an industrial wasteland.
Congratulations must also go to the new head of AGL Andrew Vesey for having the strength of character to dump the Broke gas project.
AGL was once one of our admired corporate citizens - a gas supply company we trusted.
But the company’s foray into coal seam gas just about destroyed that image.
We are sure many locals will now support their Gloucester counterparts in seeing AGL also exit those gas projects.
Our next campaign should be enshrining in legislation the protection of the Broke-Fordwich wine growing region to ensure its ‘character’ is never again threatened.
The Barossa and McLaren Vale in South Australia and the Margaret River in Western Australia are affording this type of protection.
We should be following their example having the entire Hunter Valley vineyard area now covered by a Critical Industry Cluster protected.
Not only from mining and coal seam gas but from any inappropriate development.