The outcome of today's meeting will be a watershed decision.
The Planning Assessment Commission's decision, in the shoes of the Government, will be the first real test of the Government's policy of heightened protection under its Strategic Regional Land Use Plan for the Upper Hunter.
"This is a critical decision, not only for the future of Darley and Coolmore, but also for the future of our entire industry in the Hunter Valley. It will signal whether the Government is genuine in protecting its vital agricultural assets and critical industries clusters and its commitment that the Government's process will protect us," Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association President (HTBA) Dr Collins said today
"The Drayton South Review PAC unequivocally recommended that "this mine should not proceed" and that the Coolmore and Darley studs be afforded the "highest level of protection from mining," he said.
"The PAC also accepted and backed the advice of their own independent experts, and reinforced the conclusions of the Bickham PAC, that "these land uses cannot co-exist in close proximity to one another" and that "open cut coal mining and a viable international-scale thoroughbred breeding enterprise are incompatible land uses.
"The Secretary's Environmental Assessment Report, prepared by the Department of Planning and Environment, acknowledges that Anglo's most recent mine plan meets less than half of the recommendations made by the Review PAC for a future, much smaller mine application.
"Anglo American admits that if it were to comply with the Review PAC's recommendations the mine would be financially unviable.
"The Secretary's Environmental Assessment Report also admits that little additional information has been provided by Anglo American to assess the environmental impacts of its new mine plan.
"Despite this, and in stark contrast to the recommendations of the Government's independent PAC, the Secretary's Environmental Assessment Report ignores the review PAC's recommendations, ignores the independent Gateway Panel's advice, ignores our industry's expert advice, and recommends that the Drayton South mine proceed.
"The serious concerns the Review PAC and our experts have previously raised regarding air quality, water, impacts on our industry, environment, landscape and heritage remain unaddressed.
"Our expert's findings remain that this project will result in a net economic loss of $457m to the NSW community before the impacts on our studs and our broader community are taken into account. They conclude that this revised mine will return only $15m a year in royalties to the NSW Government. Is that worth the risk of destroying the future of an entire industry and thousands of sustainable long term jobs?
"All the available evidence, including previous PAC recommendations and international experience, demonstrates that mining and thoroughbred breeding are diametrically opposed businesses and land uses which cannot "successfully co-exist" in close proximity. No amount of conditioning will alter this fact.
"This is not a choice between two industries. This is a choice between one mine and one industry. This is a choice between two fundamentally incompatible land uses. It is also an opportunity for the Government to deliver on its commitments for "balance" and "strong protection for our most valuable agricultural assets.
"We trust that this PAC will come to the right decision, do what is right and reject this proposal.
"The future of our entire industry depends on it," Dr Collins said.
HTBA Release
