HUNDREDS of people gathered in Newcastle on Monday in a positive display of support for mining and the benefits it brings to the Hunter, including regional jobs, and opportunities for small businesses.
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“Mining enjoys strong community support in the Hunter, and there is widespread understanding of the importance of the industry to the region,” NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee said.
“Monday’s event was a positive display of that public support from hundreds of people who rely on mining for their job or their business.”
Miners from Muswellbrook and Singleton, their families, small business owners and workers gathered at Civic Park.
Those attending the event were representative of the more than 11,000 people directly employed in mining in the Hunter, and the thousands more working in 4200 local mining supplier businesses across the region.
It took place as NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes was in Newcastle to address a Hunter Business Chamber mining lunch on proposed changes to the NSW planning system.
“The Planning Minister is putting Hunter jobs at risk by rushing through rule changes that will remove the requirement for regional and statewide economic factors to be considered in the assessment of mining projects,” Mr Galilee said.
“This would mean the economic benefits mining brings to the Hunter region, including mining jobs and the opportunities for small businesses, would no longer be required to be considered when mining projects are assessed.
“The planning system cannot be seen as fair and balanced unless these regional and statewide economic benefits remain an explicit factor in the planning assessment process.”