The NSW Country Women'' Association (CWA) took to social media namely Twitter to raise their concerns about the need for the planning process in the state to protect agricultural land.
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'We support the protection of agricultural land from inappropriate mining. A decision from the independent planning commission not to approve a mine on the basis of unacceptable water & ag impacts means the system is doing what it was designed to do.' the organisation said on Twitter in response to a newspaper article in the Sydney Morning Herald regarding the review into the Interdependent Planning Commission (IPC). NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes announced the review following a series of decisions by the IPC that raised the ire of the NSW Minerals Council among others especially the decision to reject a coalmine in the Bylong Valley.
The review's terms of reference include whether the IPC should exist at all. Such a moved was condemned by former Independent Commission Against Corruption commissioner David Ipp, QC who was quoted in the same article as saying such a move was 'a recipe for corruption'.
Current policy of the 'CWA of NSW shall be that the NSW Government planning and development approval process give specific consideration to the implications of loss of agricultural land for Australia's future food production and food security and the impact on our water supply when reviewing development applications.'
'That CWA of NSW opposes mining on agricultural land and requests that the State and Federal Governments develop legislation that protects prime agricultural land from mining activities'
Louise Nichols
From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM.
From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM.
