The NSW Government’s aim is to promote earlier and better engagement with the community in the assessment of large scale or complex projects, often classified as state significant developments. 

These projects include new coals mines and the expansion plans for existing mines.

Planning Minister Rob Stokes released the discussion paper with ideas on how to improve planning assessments, focused on building confidence in the assessment process.

“Public confidence in the project assessment process is particularly important for state significant projects, where the impacts can be large and experienced over many years,” Mr Stokes said.

“We need to ensure the community is involved in the assessment at the earliest practicable stage to improve the quality of engagement between all participants.”

According to the paper there have been a number of issues identified in the existing approval regimes including inconsistent quality and accessibility of documentation and the need for better consideration of cumulative impacts.

The latter suggestion will be most welcomed by those opposed to coal mine expansion as they have argued long and loud about cumulative affects from the mines.

Better community engagement and having it take place before the plans for the project are lodged is another initiative suggested by the department.

Peer review of the EIA documents would improve public confidence in the integrity of the project assessment process the paper states.

EIA documents once again have been criticised by mining opponents as simply a ‘white washing’ exercise.

Last week the department released is Hunter Regional Plan 2036.

It described the Upper Hunter as undergoing a transition but still recognised the area as a major supplier of coal, energy, wine and thoroughbred horses. 

Perhaps it was written at a time of falling coal prices because the Plan also contains many words about the need to protect agricultural industries and allow for their continued sustainable growth and expansion..