All Over Bar the Shouting

NATHAN Tinkler was critical of the lack of support for the 500 mine workers and their families and said he decided to speak at the Planning Assessment Commission today to give them a voice in the process.

Nathan Tinkler addressing the Planning Assessment Commission for the Drayton South project.

“If I was a worker at Drayton South I’d be extremely disappointed in the actions of the Mayor, the local state member Michael Johnsen, the local federal member Joel Fitzgibbon and the CFMEU,” said Mr Tinkler.

“There are 500 local families out of work and high paying jobs over $100,000 a year that’s not easily replicated for any town or city let alone a regional community,” he said.

“They (the CFMEU) should have been out there on the front foot supporting their members and it’s not too late to show that support and I hope they organise something shortly,” he said.

Mr Tinkler said he believed the equine industry had run a highly successful media campaign to convince the government to reject the mine expansion and outlined how he had run a thoroughbred stud and worked in the mining industry.

“The division is being driven by the equine industry out of self -interest while Anglo has outlined how they have tried to find middle ground,” said Mr Tinkler.

“I would hate to see Coolmore or Godolphin leave the Hunter Valley but that is their choice, the Hunter Valley will continue should they choose to leave,” he said.

“They have brought their tremendous marketing prowess to the table to influence government and somehow convinced them that it is in their interest to support their visa workers and their tax free profits over the state mining royalties and jobs of locals,” he said.

Mr Tinkler said he was no longer involved with Australian Pacific Coal, which is developing the Dartbrook mine near Aberdeen, but believed Drayton South was a viable business opportunity.

“At $70 per tonne the mine could generate employment for a generation and would contribute more tax than Coolmore and Godolphin have contributed cumulatively in Australia ever,” Nathan Tinkler said.

Rick Fairhurst and Darren Pisters representing Anglo American at the PAC.

Rick Fairhurst, NSW Projects Director for Anglo American said the company had fulfilled all of the requirements recommended for the project to be approved and had worked to find middle ground with the equine industry.

“The mine was placed behind not one but two ridges, which effectively sterilised 45 million tonnes of coal to show that we can compromise and work together,” said Mr Fairhurst.

“We would ask that the claims made by the equine industry and people who oppose the mine be substantiated and go through the same scrutiny as we have had to in our EIS (Environmental Impact Statement),” Rick Fairhurst said.

Cr Kiwa Fischer represented the Upper Hunter Shire Council at the PAC and while he said the Shire recognised the mine was not within its boundaries they believed the mine expansion would have an impact on the Shire and its economy.

“The continuation of the coal industry must not come at the expense of other sustainable agricultural industries,” said Cr Fischer.

“This mine threatens the integrity of the cluster and the ongoing success and possibly the viability of the industry in this region,” he said.

Cr Fischer added the Shire was frustrated by Department of Planning’s approach to approvals.

“They continue to offer up evermore disingenuous and pathetic arguments against the exclusion and buffer zones that have worked in other parts of the world to ease and even end this land use conflict,” he said.

“Time to end the division and draw some lines in the sand,” Cr Fischer said.

The PAC will make the final decision on the approval of the Drayton South mine based on the final report from the Department of Planning and Environment and the outcome of community submissions.

Members of the public are able to lodge a written submission with the Planning and Assessment Commission until Thursday, November 24: Drayton South Coal Project.

The audience at the Planning Assessment Commission public meeting for the Drayton Southh explansion in Muswellbrook today.