INDEPENDENT candidate for the state seat of Upper Hunter Lee Watts said she was concerned for the 1300 local families whose livelihoods hang in the balance with the NSW Planning and Assessment Commission (PAC) decision for Mount Thorley Warkworth.
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Mrs Watts spoke at the PAC on Thursday in support of the local workers and said while the state may be able to afford 1300 job losses, the local Upper Hunter community could not.
“I absolutely support the 1300 workers of Mt Thorley Warkworth and their families,” she said.
“It’s not just the 1300 jobs that could be lost, but we could lose 1300 families, families who send their children to local schools, whose partners also work in the community, who have homes here, play in our sporting clubs and spend their wages at local businesses.
“Our community is already feeling the pinch of the mining downturn, our community is worried about the decision the PAC may make after seeing what happened to Drayton South and more job losses would have a profound impact.
“I don’t give blanket support to any industry; each situation is different, each community is different.
“However, what is on the table for Mt Thorley Warkworth is a continuation on land they already own, within clearly defined existing lease areas.
“With these proposals, unless there are extraordinary circumstances, they should proceed.
“I was appalled none of the other state candidates bothered to go to the PAC, to listen to the submissions made by the community and be accountable for where they stand on the issue.
“As an independent I don’t have to check my position with a political party or read out a bland policy statement that in reality says nothing; while I might not sit on the fence the rest of them are nowhere near the fence.
“In fairness one candidate did make a submission for the first PAC for Mt Thorley raising many objections, but he was nowhere to be seen [today].”
Mrs Watts said, as a community, we can’t afford to be complacent about these approvals.
“We can’t expect mining companies to sustain this kind of uncertainty,” she said.
“It is one thing to look at this continuation from the perspective of what is in the public interest of the state, it is quite another to look at it from the perspective of what is in the public interest of our local community.
“The state might be able to absorb 1300 jobs losses, but our local community simply could not.
“I hope the PAC’s decision is in the best interests of our community.”
