Last Effort in Drayton Process

THE New South Wales Department of Planning is reviewing a final supplementary submission by Anglo American for the expansion of Drayton South.

The final submission comes after two Planning Assessment Committees recommended the mine extension not proceed and Anglo’s announcement last month that Drayton would close in September resulting in another 200 workers being laid off and leaving only a small team to manage rehabilitation on site.

Hang out Your Shirts: Miners from throughout the Upper Hunter area hung out their shirts in support of workers at Drayton. Photo: I Support the Drayton South Project.

The submission from Anglo is in response to the PAC’s review report, which will be assessed by the Department of Planning.

The Department will also assess the review from the PAC and all public submissions.

Once the Department has finalised its assessment report, it will be referred back to the Planning Assessment Commission to make the final decision.

The Department did not respond to questions relating to time frames on the rest of the process.

Key points made in Anglo’s submission include:

• that the PAC’s findings that Coolmore and Darley would leave the Upper Hunter are based on self-interested claims made by the studs and not consistent with the relative impacts and merits of the project;
• an independent economic equine assessment by Dr Greg Houston, that if Coolmore and Darley left the Hunter Valley it would not cause the collapse of the Upper Hunter equine industry;
• there was no demonstrable evidence including health or performance of the horses from the mine, with image, reputation and branding impacts being grossly overstated;
• the PAC mischaracterised the extension as a new mine and
• the PAC went beyond its terms of reference in criticising NSW Government policy and did not apply the existing policy to their decision.

Key errors the submission highlights include:

• it is not a new mine with an expected lifespan of 15 years, but an extension of an existing mine with an expected lifespan of 32 years, and
• the comparison of industries between equine and mining, included the racing industry, which is not like for like. Anglo conceded the economic impacts of the end users could be included in which case the mining side of the equation should include power stations, steel mills and support industries, but this balance was not applied.

Read the full report: Drayton South – Anglo America Response to Commission Review.