The proposal to change the mining State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) will remove a critical component designed to protect jobs. The measure within Part 3 was introduced to ensure an appropriate balance of economic, environmental and community factors during the assessment process.
The government has chosen what it believes is the easy political option rather than the sound policy option, NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee said.
“This is a retrograde step that will hurt NSW. It will put at risk thousands of current and potential jobs, particularly in regional mining communities where unemployment is often well above the state average,” he said.
“Getting the balance right is important, but you can't have viable communities and a clean environment without a strong economy.
“At the end of last year the Premier committed to halving project assessment time frames to improve investor confidence and support jobs. This proposal does the exact opposite, relegating the industry to uncertainty and putting thousands of jobs in jeopardy.”
There are thousands of mining jobs hanging in the balance in NSW, caught up in the state planning system, including 1800 workers and their families in the Hunter Valley, according to Galilee.
“The Planning Minister must ensure that any changes to the SEPP won’t be retrospective and impact on projects close to completing the assessment process,” he said.
