The Planning Assessment Commission has refused the Drayton South open-cut coal expansion between Muswellbrook and Singleton.
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Anglo American’s Chief Executive Officer has described the PAC’s knock-back of its project as a “shattering blow.”
In a statement, Seamous French claimed the determination will threaten the continuation of mining in NSW.
“Unemployment in the Hunter Valley is eight per cent.
“To reject a project which would continue to provide 500 full-time jobs for 20 years is incomprehensible,” he said.
Anglo American wanted to extract a further 97 million tonnes from the Drayton South expansion after its existing Drayton mine runs out of coal in 2017.
Northern District President of the CFMEU’s Mining Division, Peter Jordan, said the news is devastating for Drayton workers, but he said the manner is which they learned about the project’s demise was “appalling.”
“Some guys were picking it up on the radio stations in the machinery at 5.30am while others stopped at newsagents to pick up the paper on the way to work and found out that way.
“Management gave workers the opportunity to go home for 24 hours and most of them elected to do so because they were not in any state to keep operating mining equipment safely,” he said.
Peter Jordan said he was told Drayton management met government officials in Sydney on Friday, October 17 and it was advised the decision was expected in about two weeks, with that information conveyed to Drayton employees on site on Monday, October 20.
“It’s devastating news for them and we want to know how, and who, released this information before the PAC’s official announcement,” Mr Jordan said.
Horse breeders and environmentalists have welcomed the decision of the Planning Assessment Commission.
The Commission ruled Drayton South did not provide a sufficient buffer to protect Coolmore and Darley Horse Studs from the impacts of mining.
President of the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Dr Cameron Collins, said the determination reinforces the state, national and international importance of the region’s horse breeding industry.
“[It recognises] the integral importance of our industry’s two central players, Coolmore and Darley, and recognises that once damage is done to our key international studs it is irreversible,” he said.
John Kaye, from the Upper Hunter Greens, said the PAC’s decision means common sense has prevailed.
“The impact that open-cut coal mining has on other rural industries is being acknowledged.
“The economic future of the Upper Hunter is in the development of a diverse economy [and] we need to preserve the current diversity of industries and focus on renewables,” Mr Kaye said.