As we enter another Christmas season the landuse conflicts throughout our region, unfortunately, remain more or less the same as they were this time last year.
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The only thing that has changed is people’s frustration with the current planning approval process.
If you are operating a successful agricultural business or chose to live in a rural community the last thing you want is the arrival on your doorstep of an ‘industrial’ development be that a mine, coal seam gas well,quarry or even a national highway bypass.
Academics have a developed a term to describe the loss of that rural lifestyle its called ‘solastalgia’ a feeling of desolation and despair when your environment is changed from say a paddock to an open cut mine.
It is a real condition and perhaps our politicians and planning bureaucrats should include it as one of the impacts when they are assessing state significant developments in rural and regional areas.
How can these issues be resolved so that existing industries such as the internationally recognised Hunter Valley’s Critical Industry Cluster (CIC) thoroughbred breeders can actually get on with their business rather than spend years fighting mining development.
Similarly the Gloucester residents faced with another open cut mine adjacent to a housing estate – I think the solution is called planning. Just some simple, intelligent and innovative planning would make such a difference.
At this time of the year the Hunter studs are gearing up for the Magic Millions yearling sale held in early January.
In 2016 the top 10 best sellers - were the progeny of Arrowfield, Darley and Coolmore sires – all selling for $750,000 dollars or more. The progeny of Hunter stallions, including the progeny of Vinery, Yarraman Park and Widden studs, also represented 93 of the top 100 yearlings sold (selling for over $300,000).
Worth keeping that industry in the Hunter.